Divine Expectations
by Jazlynn
Summary: Life is short and then you die. Life is short, but an immortal can live forever. At least, that should be the case. After all, an incident that happened 1000 years ago cannot possibly happen again, right? Subaru x Caren x OC. Sequel to Lilacs and Winds.
1. Peculiar Encounters

Hey guys! You though that I disappeared, didn't you? Well, for the time I've been gone, I've been working extremely hard on this magnificent piece of work. It is the third and final part to _'It Started with Lilacs'_ and _'To Race the Northern Winds'_. This is what I've been building up to ever since I decided that I wasn't finished with Lilacs. Now, since this took me months and months to write, naturally, it's going to be long. Very long. So, I've divided it up into four parts which I am going to post from now until Christmas. The next part will be posted on **Tuesday December 16****th**. I'm posting the next part whether I have reviews or not. I just wanted to write this for my own amusement.

Anyways, I've decided to dedicate this story to Jewelieishness for giving me the best review I have EVER received in my life of writing fan fiction. I know she's a big fan of Caren x Subaru, so I incorporated the pairing into this story. So, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mermaid Melody or any of the respective characters. I only own my vampires.

**Divine Expectations  
**Peculiar Encounters  
_Written by: Jazlynn_

Haze clouded my translucent eyes as I stared lifelessly at the ceiling of my room in my vast palace. It had been a month since I had rescued Noel. A whole month! It was hard to believe that so much time had passed since then. Yes, time; a factor of life that would never affect me anymore. A factor that failed to change my body, yet, took a terrible toll on my mind. It was all because of different perspectives.

Yes, the perspective of time. To one, 'soon' may only be a short period of time. That is what is assumed. However, with the state of one's mind, 'soon' may seem like an eternity. Now, one would assume that if two lovers were parted—meaning that one would leave the other for a short period of time—the one left behind would feel as if 'soon' was an eternity while, for the other, 'soon' would pass very quickly.

But what happens when time is disregarded by another. What if time, to them, meant something completely different than what it means to normal people? What if those individuals could live forever? How can time be measured in that sense? To them, 'soon' may occur over a span of years. To them, it would not seem that long. However, to one whose mind had not shifted to their way of thinking, 'soon' really may seem like eternity—even if it is only a few years.

But I didn't want to wait that long. I wanted 'soon' to be over. I wanted my individual who could live forever to be back here in my arms. He had only been away from me for two months. Two months out of many years. It was torturous. My mind couldn't take it. I had been slowly falling into a deep depression and now I was consumed by it. Forever surrounded by my grief. I had tried to be strong. I had tried to always smile. I managed this for a while—long enough to get my kingdom back in order and long enough to show a smile at my friend, Rina's banquet in the Atlantic Ocean. But after, there was nothing left for me to smile about. I was like an empty shell. Only darkness occupied this body. Only emptiness lingered in these soulless violet eyes. I was as good as dead.

"Lady Caren?"

What a strange sound that echoed in my ears. It sounded like a meek, unfamiliar voice. It was strange but, for some reason, I expected to hear some sort of accent in the voice. Very strange. My body ceased to move as the voice continued to call out my name. Wait, my name? Was that my name? I did not remember. There were a lot of things that I did not remember. All knowledge that I once possessed seemed to have slipped into the darkness that consumed me. I did not need it. After all, I was dead, wasn't I? All I could see was darkness.

"Lady Caren, you are frightening me. Please, say something!"

There was that voice again. Still, all I saw was darkness. My eyes were wide open as well. It was a strange feeling really. My eyelids flickered and slowly, I became aware of the things around me. No, I wasn't dead like I had originally thought. I was alive and still completely alone. So, I was back to staring at the ceiling with the lavender hue. And then, I felt my body shift. My placid eyes were now focused on the mermaid who had been trying to reach out to me in my zoned-out state.

"What is it that you want?" I demanded in a quiet, lifeless voice. I wanted this conversation done and over with so that I could continue to dwell within my own inner thoughts of misery.

"There are many of us in the court that believe that you have become unhealthily distant. It worries us. This is not normal behaviour, Caren." She explained timidly. "We would advise that you go out and do something."

They wanted me to go out and… _do something?_ I stared at the young mermaid blankly. Why wouldn't she leave me alone? Didn't she know that I simply wanted to stay here and be alone? I wanted the quiet peace of my mind. It was my only freedom in my life of fallacy. My very life was like a short story with a tragic ending and I didn't want anyone flipping though the frayed pages. Not her, not anyone. I needed to get away—to go out on my own.

"I suppose I will go out and… _do something_ if that is what you so wish." I murmured in response. However, it sounded as if my reply were more inwardly that anything.

"Thank you, Lady Caren."

I watched in dead silence as the young mermaid swam off. The quiet intoxicated me once more and I thought about drifting back off into that state of nothingness—that state of false sleep that I had come to enjoy so very much. However, I said that I would go out. I would follow through with my decision. I would swim around the surface in complete solitude for a while before coming back down to my barren palace—despite how there were always mermaids swimming around.

With a heavy sigh, I pushed myself off of my unnecessary bed and headed towards the huge balcony that was attached to my room. In all honesty, I was quite glad that I could just leave from here rather than go through my whole palace to get to the main entrance. That would involve running into mermaids and having to speak with them which was something that I did not want to do. I pushed back the lavender sashes that separated the balcony to my room and I began to swim towards the surface.

The ocean was dark as I swam, signaling that it was nighttime. I despised the night. The midnight hours reminded me of _him_. I scowled in disgust as I surfaced. The moonlight shone down on my body, making me look like I sparkled. I breathed in deeply and then floated on my back. I glanced longingly up at that dark sky that sparkled with diamonds. I wondered if _he_ was looking up at the sky as well. For the first time in a long time, I smiled. I couldn't believe that such a corny phrase popped into my head. Was I really turning into a hopeless romantic? In all honesty, when I thought about it, the relationship I had with him wasn't very strong. Originally, he had wanted to _kill me_. I was terrified of him! Why should I be mourning as if he was the air I breathed and that I would die without him? I was already dead. He killed me a long time ago.

I pulled my eyes away from the sky to observe the vast ocean. There were only icebergs—the remains of glaciers that once covered my kingdom. Our world would have been secluded then. Yet, it was a long time ago. The mermaid world as well as the human one would have been so different. _His_ kind didn't even exist then. I was pulled out of my thoughts when a strange and very loud sound resonated through the night sky. My eyes went wide as I cringed and I smacked my hands over my ears. Who in their right mind was so obnoxious enough to break that wonderful silence that had enveloped me?! They would certainly pay for it!

My eyes turned to slits as I scanned the area for the source of the sound. I couldn't spot anything at first. There was only darkness, water, a few icebergs and the eerie glow of the moonlight shining down on me. And then I saw something. It was a new source of light; artificial light. I turned to see what it was and discovered a large red object appear on the horizon. It was still too far away for me to completely see but, putting two and two together, I figured that it was a boat. But why were people coming to Antarctica? Certainly they wouldn't like the cold very much. From my knowledge, humans preferred warmth over the cold. Curiosity was beginning to overtake me.

I was bewildered as the boat came closer and closer to the shore. My eyes kept flickering with wonderment at the strange human contraption and, very soon, I was swimming towards it. My speed picked up as I swam and I realized how truly interested I was in this occurrence. Within a matter of minutes, I was at the boat's side, swimming along it as if I were its faithful pet. I heard a door open on deck and soon became aware of footsteps making their way over to the area where I was in.

I lowered myself into the water so that no one would see me if they looked over the side. I watched curiously as a young man with fluffy blonde hair and bright blue eyes peeked over the side of the railing. He didn't look down at the water but he gazed out across the land part of Antarctica. There was excitement bubbling within his eyes as he observed the place I knew so well. His antics intrigued me. I did not understand why someone like him would be in a place like this. He looked like a surfer who would have a huge group of girls following him around.

I heard voices up on the deck and watched as the man turned his head to look at someone. I did my very best to listen in on the conversation that was taking place. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult. I did, after all, have sensitive hearing. Then again, I was surprised that I hadn't been deafened by the sound of the boat's horn. It had been so _loud_!

"So, Subaru, what do you think of the landscape?"

I snapped out of my thoughts to listen to the blonde haired man, Subaru, speak.

"It's beautiful!" He replied while looking back out to the vast icy land. "It should be amazing to stay here for a while."

So he was intending on staying here? I watched him in confusion. I still couldn't understand why any human would want to be on the coldest place on earth. This man was very… interesting, to say in the least. I would have to speak with him when the boat landed. Those sparkling blue eyes were just mesmerizing. I felt as if I could lose myself within them. Yes, that would be better than losing myself in that darkness that had consumed me in the past month.

I felt as if my heart fell and became heavier than the glaciers of Antarctica when the man with the feathery blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes left the railing. I still wanted to see him. I decided to simply follow the ship in the meantime. I really had nothing better to do. I wanted to, at the least, find out where this man would be staying. After all, it wasn't like there were any cities in Antarctica.

It took a while for the boat to come to the land and to become anchored in place. I had put a distance between myself and the metal ship as I watched the activity surrounding the boat. There were a few men who left the boat and were now on the land. The blonde, Subaru, soon joined them. I really was intrigued by his presence here. I watched as he talked with these other men about things that I could not hear. The group began walking further inland so I figured that they were done talking about whatever they were talking about. However, if I were to lose sight of them, I wouldn't be able to know where this Subaru was staying.

I quickly glanced around to see if there were any humans present before I pulled myself up onto the shores of Antarctica. I took on my human appearance and looked myself over. I was wearing black pants, a thick lavender coat with matching boots and a dark purple hat covered the top of my head. This would be fitting, hopefully.

I dragged my golden eyes away from my outfit to observe the barren white land that surrounded me. They widened in fear when I realized that all the humans were now out of sight. I didn't even know where they went! My eyes frantically darted around to see if there were any traces of life around me.

Nothing.

Suddenly, I felt fearful. I felt fearful of having lost something dear to me. The feeling was horrible and I was beginning to feel shrouded by the darkness that my previous lover had left me with. I felt my heart ache as I thought about it. No! I would not let that happen again! I wasn't going to lose something that I wanted to gain! This human had captured my attention and I wanted him. I wanted to see him smile. I wanted to hear his glorious voice! A surge of determination swept through my body and I felt myself begin running at top speed. I would seem like a blur to anyone who saw me whizzing past them.

I headed more inland, that fear still lingering in my body as I ran. I didn't know how long I had been running but, it didn't seem like it was that long. I had to force myself to stop as the group came back to my sight. They were entering some strange vehicle that I had never seen before. It looked like a mix between a house and a snowmobile or something akin to that. I waited for them all to enter the house-type thing before I walked forward. Was this where Subaru would be staying? I was intrigued even further.

I approached the 'housemobile' and I could hear voices from within. However, due to the metal, the conversation was muffled. I couldn't even distinguish who was talking. I stood there in silence, debating my next move. I didn't even know what I was doing. Why should I be so absorbed with some _human?_ Why did I feel the need to follow him? A wave of confusion washed over me as I pondered this. It was very strange.

I heard a 'click' and my eyes went wide. A sliver of light shined outside from the doorway. The humans were coming outside! My mind reeled as it tried to register what was happening. At the last moment, I dashed around the side of the red 'thing'. The men emerged right after I was hidden. They were still talking but, this time I wasn't paying attention to them. I was trying to calm my panicked self. I did take notice when the talking stopped and when I was enveloped in silence. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh! H-hello."

My eyes went wide and my head jerked to look at the blonde haired man, Subaru. He was looking at me with a shocked expression as I stared at him dumbly. My body froze in place and I found myself unable to move. No words were able to escape my lips. I just stood there in silent shock as this Subaru watched me intently. His eyes were filled with compassion and worry. They weren't elusive and mysterious like Mathias'.

"Excuse me, miss, are you alright?"

Subaru's voice brought my mind back to reality and I realized the situation that I had found myself in. I panicked. Fear shot through my body and I turned on my heel and fled. I ran at a quick human pace and I could hear Subaru call out to me in worry. I wasn't focusing at all on what he was saying. All that was running through my mind was to get away. Then, something unexpected happened.

I felt my feet give way underneath me, yet, I didn't recall tripping. I felt myself falling but, I wasn't falling forward like I would when tripping. My legs were still moving as if I was still running but, _there was no ground beneath my feet_. My eyes widened in horror and I let out a terror filled shriek. My hands flailed around as I tried to grab onto something—anything! They caught hold on the edge of the crevice that I had fallen into and I hung there in complete shock. I couldn't speak. I could not call for help or anything. I felt the snow crumbling under my fingers and my eyes widened further. I wanted to scream, yet couldn't. My mind went completely blank.

I recalled being told that when people fell off cliffs or extremely high heights, they would often die of a heart attack before they made impact with the ground. I wasn't sure if that statement was true or not but, it truly made me wonder. I wouldn't die of a heart attack if I fell. I wouldn't die if I made impact with the ground—however far down that ground was. But what would happen to me? I was immortal. I wouldn't die. Not even with the lack of food or the bitter cold. I would simply be trapped. I wouldn't even be able to commit suicide!

I felt the snow slip under my hands and I felt myself falling for a brief moment of time. Then I stopped again. I wondered why. Common sense told me to look up and so I did. I saw an angel firmly grasping my wrists and struggling to pull me up. The moonlight that glittered off the snow seemed to make his blonde hair and blue eyes sparkle. But I knew that this was not an angel. Angels had golden eyes, dark brown hair and pale skin. This man did not fit that description. My mind was finally returning to me and I realized that this was Subaru trying to pull me up.

I moved my feet to the side of the crevice and attempted to walk up the ice. I felt myself getting higher and higher. Eventually, I felt myself being harshly pulled forward and I was back on solid… Subaru? I blinked a few times in confusion before I realized that I had fallen forward onto the blonde man who had rescued me just a moment ago. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around the man and cried into his chest. He seemed surprised by the gesture but he wrapped his arms around me and gently rubbed my back.

"Hey, don't worry. It's alright. You're safe now." He murmured.

_You're safe now_. The words echoed around in my head as if they were the only thing there. I was safe. I was safe in my savior's arms. I continued to cry, feeling comfort being there in his arms. He continued to hold me and rub my back, even though he didn't know who I was. I could feel him lifting me up to my feet as I still clung to him. He was pretty strong—for a human. He began moving back towards his home and my feet were forced to follow. I didn't mind though. Right now, I didn't want to be alone. Right now, I wanted that comfort he was providing me.

We walked for a really long time, I realized. I must've run pretty far. What surprised me was the fact that this human had come after me. He could have very well fallen into one of the same crevices in which I had fallen. I didn't understand why a complete and total stranger would risk his life to help me. I pondered these things for quite a while before we returned to Subaru's home.

I pulled my mind out of my thoughts and feigned a smile as he held the door open for me. Still feeling slightly shaky, Subaru helped me inside. The interior of his home was quite small yet cozy. It was a huge change from the places where I'd been living but, somehow, I didn't mind. There was a small kitchen in one corner of the room, a desk with a computer at the other, a couch, a table and two doors which I assumed led to a washroom and bedroom. I planted myself on the couch and watched as Subaru headed over to the kitchen.

He came back over to me and handed me a mug of hot chocolate. I whispered a small 'thank you' and took a sip of the drink. I suddenly remembered how utterly delicious hot chocolate was. I know that I was a vampire and that blood was supposed to be my forte in taste but… this just tasted so damn good! I drank more of the delectable liquid and I heard Subaru chuckling beside me. I gave him a curious glance.

"Wow, I'm amazed," he stated with a smile on his face. "I always thought that this hot chocolate was kind of crappy."

I gave him a look of bewilderment. "Are you _kidding_ me? It's absolutely delicious!"

He laughed at how I made my declaration. Why should that be amusing? I was feeling confused. He was laughing at me and mocking the delicious hot chocolate I was drinking. I didn't find it amusing at all. He didn't even know me. Wasn't it disrespectful to laugh at someone whom you've just met? I felt even more confused as he laughed harder.

"I'm sorry. Is something wrong?" I asked, sounding rather offended.

"Oh! No, no, nothing's wrong," he said while slightly waving his hands in the air. "It's just that… I've never seen someone look as if they enjoy crappy hot chocolate so much. Have you ever had it before?"

I looked at those sparking blue eyes of his and kept a stern presence about me. I could tell that he was trying his best to not laugh again. What a typical boy. I couldn't believe the way he was acting. Not to mention asking if _I_ had ever had _hot chocolate_ before. I had had it before! It wasn't a matter of asking 'who has had hot chocolate before?' it was a matter of asking 'who _hasn't_ had hot chocolate before?'

"I've had hot chocolate before." I stated stubbornly as if to scream out that he was really beginning to irritate me.

Subaru simply kept on smiling, his blue eyes shining as he looked at me. "Obviously, you haven't had Canadian hot chocolate before. Where did you grow up?"

I looked at him oddly. Without thinking, I stated the truth. "I grew up here."

That changed the expression on Subaru's face to a frown. "_Here?_"

I realized my mistake. Antarctica was a barren continent covered in glaciers that only scientists were prone to visit. No one grew up _here_. I lightly bit my lower lip as my mind reeled to come up with an explanation.

"Well, I guess I didn't technically grow up here," I explained quickly, omitting the truth of where I actually grew up. "I just visit a lot because it's so beautiful here."

The smile returned to Subaru's face. "I guess that makes sense. It really is quite amazing down here. It's just such a shame that the ice is melting."

My eyes widened in shock. "_What?_"

Subaru looked at me as if I'd missed some vital piece of information. "You didn't know?"

I shook my head in disbelief. I had no idea that the ice was melting. What would that mean for the marine world? Thousands of animals would lose their homes. I looked at Subaru, my eyes pleading for an explanation. He let out a long sigh.

"The Earth's temperature is beginning to rise and it's causing the glaciers here to melt. That's why I'm here—to try and find a way to preserve the glaciers." He explained.

I observed him carefully; taking in all of the information he was giving me and processing it. "So, you're a scientist then."

"Yeah," he murmured softly, still thinking about the information that he'd just given me.

He looked so thoughtful, so… pensive. I didn't know why but, I kind of liked him being around—despite the fact that he was making fun of me earlier. He looked back at me and then an expression crossed his face that meant he'd forgotten something very important.

"Oh my gosh! I haven't even introduced myself to you yet! I am so sorry!" He apologized quickly while trying to regain his composure. He gave me a friendly smile and took my hands within his own. "Hi, I'm Subaru—scientist extraordinaire!"

A devious smile crossed my face as he said this. "Scientist extraordinaire, huh? Have you ever _been_ to Antarctica before?"

I watched his face falter as I spoke that and my smile got bigger. I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Subaru tried to put on a stern façade yet failed horribly.

"Alright Miss Pessimistic, so I've never been to Antarctica before. I apparently already know more about this place than you do, considering the fact that you've been here before." He stated while looking at me in false anger. I couldn't help but smile at the casual presence around Subaru. It was more enjoyable than the intense presence I had always felt around Mathias. I wasn't given a chance to think about the vampire who turned me as Subaru began to speak once more. "Now, before you try to take anymore hits on my ego, may I have the pleasure of the name of the girl who fell into a hold in the ground?"

My eyes widened and I realized that Subaru had just taken a hit on _my_ ego. However, I heard the teasing tone in his voice and knew that he was just trying to get back at me. I gave him a warm smile. "I'm Caren."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Caren," he stated while returning my smile with one of his own. "So, where are you staying? I'm not really aware of any other places around here that people live."

Oh, ouch. That question hit me hard. I stared at him dumbfounded as I tried to figure out that question for myself. Where was I staying? I certainly couldn't say that I was staying in an underwater palace with lots of servants which I owned. He would think I was on some kind of drug. His expression turned to worry when I didn't reply.

"You _do_ have a place to stay, don't you?" He pushed worriedly.

"Well… umm, actually…" I breathed in deeply, about to tell a lie that would temporarily seal my fate. "No. I don't have a place to stay."

I felt sheepish and embarrassed for admitting to a false truth. I had a place to stay but, I didn't feel much like going back there right now. If I went back to my palace, my attendants would act as if my going out would be some great accomplishment on my part. I didn't want that. So, my fate was to either stay here with Subaru or get thrown out in the snow.

"You seriously came here without a place to stay?" He asked in disbelief. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

I was slightly surprised by Subaru. He wasn't exactly saying that I could stay and he wasn't exactly saying that I couldn't. To me, it sounded as if he was still trying to comprehend the fact that I didn't have a place to stay—not that it really mattered. The cold didn't bother me and it couldn't kill me either. That thought almost made me chuckle as Subaru asked if I had a death wish. Instead of laughing, I let a wide grin spread across my face.

"I _had_ a death wish. I was running with vampires for a while." I admitted in a joking manor. I figured I may as well tell him the truth if he didn't really believe anything that I said anyways. I added on to my ridiculous statement with more truth, spoken in a sarcastic tone. "Oh yeah, I'm a vampire."

Subaru glanced at me with pensive eyes. "So, let me get this straight then. You're a vampire and you've got no place to stay. Does the vampire Caren, wish to stay with me?"

For a moment, I thought that he seriously believed me. My face would have turned three shades whiter had Subaru not smiled as asked if I wanted to stay with him. Relieved, I mustered a grin before making my remark to his question.

"Inviting a vampire to stay in your home? That's a little bit risky, don't you think? I might come after you when you're sleeping." I threatened, sarcasm dripping on every single one of my words.

Subaru laughed. His blue eyes were sparkling again. "Well, I think I'm pretty informed about vampires to know when I'm in danger or not. I know for a fact that you are not a vampire."

I glanced at him questioningly. I was quite amused. "And how do you figure this? Could it possibly be the fact that you are a scientist and such things like vampires are completely absurd?"

"Well, I suppose," he chuckled softly. "However, I once knew a guy who really believed that vampires exist. His name was Felix or something like that. Personally, I think he changed his name just to make it sound vampiric."

I giggled. "Who would change their name to be more vampiric? If they really believed that vampires existed, wouldn't they go out and find a vampire and ask them to turn them into one?"

"That would seem more logical." He agreed cheerfully. "However, this guy was kind of odd. See, he's so informed about vampires but, when I knew him, he seemed really fascinated about mermaids."

This got my interest. "Go on. Oh, and you still haven't told me about how you figure that I'm not a vampire."

"Well, about you not being a vampire, Felix said that a vampire would never reveal what they were to a human. You clearly stated that you were a vampire. You wouldn't have done that if you truly were a vampire." He explained.

"Hmm, this is true." I agreed thoughtfully. What he didn't know was that maybe I was so good at hiding my identity that I was putting it out in the open where he would merely skip over it. Oh, I _was_ good. But that wasn't what mattered to me right now. "So, what did… _Felix_ tell you about mermaids?"

Subaru breathed in deeply. "Well, he said that his fascination with mermaids began when a woman stayed the night at his place in Britain. He believed that she was a mermaid. However, when I tried to ask him about it further, he answered saying that he didn't know much about mermaids. He then went on to explain more about vampires and how they usually avoid mermaids."

Subaru laughed. I laughed along with him as if we were talking about some crazy psycho who truly believed that he was a vampire. However, if this Felix knew so much about vampires, it would make sense if he actually was one. But there was something wrong with what he told Subaru. If vampires generally avoided mermaids, why was Mathias drawn towards me? I really wanted to know now.

"Did Felix elaborate more on that topic?" I asked, wishing to gain more information.

Subaru yawned. "Well, he didn't say much about it but he said that it went back to the beginning of vampiric history. Apparently, a vampire fell in love with a mermaid princess and the vampire king wasn't too happy about it. So, the vampire king went out and killed the mermaid or something rather, and then said that if any vampire was to fall in love with a mermaid, they'd be killed."

"Oh," was all I could really say. That bit of information shocked me. A mermaid princess was killed by the vampire king. Mathias was the King of Vampires. Did that mean…? I allowed my thoughts to trail off, not wanting to even think about the possibility. Subaru yawned again which drew my attention back to him.

"How late is it?" I asked quietly. The vampire story had sucked any kind of humor that was in me. It must have taken the humor from Subaru as well since he seemed more somber as well.

"Probably past one in the morning. My ship arrived here at quarter to twelve and then I had to go chase after you, remember?"

I hummed softly in response. "You should probably get some sleep then."

"I suppose," he softly murmured. "You can sleep in my bedroom. I'll sleep here on the couch."

I shook my head in disagreement. "This is your home and I am only a guest here. I'll sleep on the couch."

Subaru looked at me stubbornly. "I'm not moving from this couch."

"Well neither am I." I snapped back.

We both sat there, staring each other down, waiting for the other to break. However, as I waited for him, a plot was forming in my mind. I could give in and go to his room. Then, when Subaru was asleep, I could come out and carry him back into his room to sleep. That way, we'd both win to some extent. This plan would work.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine! I'll sleep in your room! Just don't expect me to give in every single night like this."

With that, I got up off the couch and headed to his room, closing the door behind me. I could just imagine the look on his face. He must have been shocked that I had given in so easily. Well, he didn't know my evil plan yet so, I was in luck. With a smile, I let myself fall onto his bed and I listened to his heartbeat in the other room. It was like the most beautiful sound in the world to me. Its rhythmic beat almost made me want to fall asleep myself. However, that was impossible. I would forever be awake to hear that heartbeat. And so, in the darkness of his room, I waited.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I didn't know how long I waited for the beating of Subaru's heart to slow but when it finally did, I was off of his bed and creeping towards the doorway. I silently slipped into the darkened main room where the blonde-haired male was sprawled out on the couch. He kind of looked like a puppy dog for some reason. I almost giggled at the resemblance.

I quickly made my way over to him and I gently pulled him up into my arms. The scene I had found myself in might have seemed quite silly to an observer. I was a princess who had easily just taken up a fully grown male into my arms as if he were a small child. I looked down at the 'puppy child-like' man in my arms and smiled. Now that I thought about it, he was kind of cute—not that I was falling in love with him or anything. My heart still yearned for Mathias.

As I carried Subaru into his room, I pondered on what had happened to Mathias. What exactly was he doing that was taking him so long to get back to me? Or maybe he was already on his way back to me. No. I would have felt his presence nearing.

I carefully set Subaru onto his bed and pulled the blankets over his sleeping form. My body instantly tensed when the heater in the corner of the room blew Subaru's scent right into my face. Quickly gaining control over my instincts, I breathed in deeply to try and clear my head. _Very bad idea_. I was breathing in his scent and it was causing me to lose control. I had to fight with myself to refrain from killing Subaru. Quickly, I turned on my heel and got out of the room.

Silently closing the door, I took in a breath of fresh air that was void of Subaru's glorious scent. My eyes were wide and I was trembling. I didn't understand what had just happened. I didn't understand why his scent was so overwhelming. Why did I only notice it now? I seemed fine around Subaru before so… why was his scent so apparent to me now? I tried to figure this out as I planted myself on the couch. Warm air was blowing on me from one of the heaters and I figured out the answer. He'd always been downwind from me. I didn't really have a chance to pick up his scent before.

I let out a gust of air before letting myself fall back onto the couch. I curled up on my side as if I was going to sleep. I tried to make sense out of Subaru's scent which had obviously got the better of me. It was hard to concentrate on what it was at first. All that came to my mind were the words 'appealing' and 'delicious'. However, as I focused and pushed away my inner vampire, I could identify the scent. It was sunlight. I didn't know that sunlight had an aroma. I certainly hadn't detected it before when in real sunlight. So, why now with Subaru? Maybe it was because it was just the scent of his blood. That was probably the reason. But why was it so strong?

I rubbed my temples as I tried to think. Surely, Mathias would have told me about this if some humans had really compelling scents. But maybe it was just me. Or maybe it was that nagging, suffocating feeling my throat endured whenever I had to feed. Thinking about it now, I hadn't fed in a _really_ long time. I had been in my palace for a month without leaving. No wonder I was so compelled to kill Subaru!

Panic began to overcome my body as I glanced around the room frantically. I needed to feed. The only source of blood nearby was Subaru and I did not want to kill him. I didn't want to kill any human for that matter. I tried to think of animals that lived in Antarctica that I could possibly feed on. The only things that I could think of were fish and penguins. No! I didn't want to hunt them either! They were the marine life that I had to protect! I wasn't going to kill them!

I quickly got up off of the couch and headed silently for the door. It didn't matter what I preyed on: I had to get Subaru away from the danger that was the demon within me. I slipped outside into the cool Antarctic air and breathed in deeply. The realization of knowing I hadn't fed was absolutely killing me. Mathias had told me an analogy of what it was like to not feed. It was like holding your breath under water and how it doesn't affect you until you have to breathe. However, I couldn't relate. I had never experienced that phenomenon before. However, right now, I knew that I would not ever want to drown. If it was compared to the feeling I had now, it would be absolutely horrible.

I glanced around the area and then took off in a random direction. I kept my pace fast and stayed light on my feet so that I could avoid another accident. Subaru wouldn't be there to save me if I fell into another crack. Not that it mattered. With the speed I was running at, the moment the ice gave way beneath me, I'd be far enough away that I wouldn't be affected.

I could hear distinct cracks that sounded whenever my feet touched the ground. Looking around, I could tell that I was on some ice field. Perhaps I was treading on thin ice. That wasn't too bad. If I fell though, I'd just go back to my mermaid form. No harm done. However, the shadow that was circling around beneath the ice worried me. I couldn't tell what it was and I didn't want to find out. I would have to keep up my search for prey.

Just then, a loud crack resounded and I felt that one of my feet could not go forward. I slammed face first into ice that was breaking beneath my weight. I could feel my body being dragged back and I could feel something sharp digging into my one foot. I let out a scream as I tried to pull myself away. I glanced back to find that a large leopard seal had my foot in its mouth while it aggressively tried to drag me into the water. I screamed again, trying to kick its head with my free leg. The creature violently shook its head, thrashing me about in the process.

I screamed yet again. My foot was in a hell of a lot of pain and a vicious leopard seal was trying to kill me! I had to get a hold of myself. I was the hunter—not this beast! Instead of fighting this creature's will, I flung myself towards it in an attempt to attack it. I just barely missed biting its neck and I found myself flung over the creature as if someone was carrying me over their shoulder. However, the seal's flesh was in my mouth's reach. I could, at least, steal some of the creature's energy.

Acting on my instincts, I sunk my teeth into the creatures back. No, it probably wasn't the best picture but, I would choose this over being eaten alive. The seal roared in pain and tried to fling me off of its back. With the creature succeeding, I was flung across the ice. I yelped as my body connected with the ground. I could hear the ice cracking beneath me and I could sense the animal approaching me.

My eyes opened in a flash to reveal their vampiric crimson colour. I glared at the beast that was causing me so much grief. I would kill it. This would be the prey that would temporarily satisfy my thirst. Carefully, I shifted my body to face the creature, not wanting the ice the break beneath me. Converting back to my mermaid form would _not_ be helpful in this situation. If that were to happen, the beast would merely attack me and make me its dinner. It was easier for me to maneuver in my human-like form.

With newfound determination, I lunged forward to attack the seal head on. As I had hoped, the creature flinched away from my demonic form. That was all it took. With a quick movement from my hands, I snapped the creature's neck and sunk my teeth into its flesh. Its blood flowed into my mouth and that suffocating feeling dispersed. It made me feel both relieved and guilty at the same time. I had just killed an aquatic creature.

No! I would not take guilt for this creature's actions! It had tried to eat me! The fact that I was killing it in self defense made me feel a little bit better. I was truly amazed that I was not yet used to killing living things. Perhaps one day I would. Perhaps, one day, I might truly become a monster. I wasn't looking forward to the day but, then again, I might not care when that time comes.

When I could get no more blood from the leopard seal, I slowly moved away from it, observing the bloody mess that my struggle had created. Not only the ice but, my clothes had been covered in blood as well. I didn't want to imagine what my face might look like either. Observing the cracked ice beneath me, I stood up and forcefully jumped down. The ice shattered beneath my feet and I fell into the dark waters below.

The first thing that I noticed when I was back in my mermaid form was an unsettling presence that made me shiver. Whatever aura that was in the water, it was making me unsettled, scared, and feeling very alone. Yes, alone. That fit the presence well. I didn't understand why such a lonely feeling would envelope the water here. Shivering, I wrapped my arms around myself as if attempting to keep warm. I didn't like being here.

As my eyes scanned the area, I saw something that greatly surprised me. Within the depths of these waters lay the ruins of an underwater palace. Fear gripped me as I beheld this long forgotten place. I wanted so desperately to leave but, my curiosity compelled me to go look around.

Trembling, I swam towards the ruins in a constant haze of indecision. My mind was screaming at me to leave this instant while another part of it was telling me go and see. That smaller part was getting the better of me no matter how hard my common sense was working against it. I slowly breathed in and out in staggered breaths as I came upon the palace. I didn't want to go inside. I sensed death all over the place. Some unknown tragedy had occurred here and I didn't want to know what.

I turned to swim away but was stopped by the glowing light of my pearl. I took the pendant from my neck to observe it. Why was it glowing like this? It wasn't like I had any companions who were in trouble nearby. If anything, I was the one who might be in terrible danger.

My eyes widened in shock when the pendant flew out on my hands at its own free will. I gasped and immediately swam after my most prized possession. I followed the violet glow into the ruins and tried to keep up with my pearl. The light was beginning to fade away and I felt like I had been defeated by some unknown force. Then, it was gone. My pearl was no longer within my view.

My body began to shake violently as I lingered in the large, empty room. All of sudden, I was terrified. I didn't even have my pearl anymore. Slowly, I looked around the room—feeling as if I was being watched or that I was not alone. I couldn't see anyone or anything but when I looked to the ground, my stomach twisted into the tightest knot and my eyes widened as much as they possible could with terror. I let out a shriek of horror and grief. What was this frightening hell?!

Tears were falling from my eyes now as I tried to breathe in gasps of air. I kept screaming upon the sight my eyes beheld. I wanted to get out of this place and never return but my body was frozen in place. My eyes could not be torn away from the gaze of the many mermaid skeletons that littered the floor. They were all staring at me as if they still possessed life.

"Rose, is that you?"

I screamed loudly and almost jumped out of my skin as I heard an echo-y voice ring out through the darkened room. My body jerked towards the sound and I screamed again when I saw the ghost-like figure of a mermaid that looked _very_ worn with age. I could tell that she was a spirit due to her ethereal presence and the fact that I could see right through her. However, the woman terrified me.

I backed away as the spirit floated towards me. My body was shaking more violently than before and I felt more scared than I was when Mathias had turned me. Her wrinkled pale hand reached out to grab me and I let out another scream while flinching away. The deceased woman seemed to not take any notice to my fear as she continued to come near me.

"Rose, is that really you Rose? Oh, thank the heavens you are alive! You must not let them find you. You must get away. They'll find you and kill you like they have to us if you stay here."

I didn't need the ghost's council on that matter. She was trying to cling onto me calling me by a foreign name. I tried to bat her hands away from me as I turned tail and fled. My screams were the only thing I could hear as I swam blindly down corridors. I didn't even know where I was. My pearl had led me into this place.

My pearl; I felt as if it had betrayed me. It led me directly into a living nightmare; a hellish nightmare that I did not wish to have. I didn't even have my pearl anymore. It was gone. It would forever remain that way too if I ever found the exit. However, no matter where I swam, I could not find a way out. The corridors I had found myself in seemed like a labyrinth. Another feeling of panic swept over me as I turned down another corridor.

A loud wailing shriek sounded off beside me as another distraught spirit clung to me. I screamed trying to get it away from me. It kept on wailing and screaming, continuing to try and cling to me. I felt more spirits latch onto me to cry and moan in despair. I was screaming as well, trying desperately to get away. Tears fell from the corners of my eyes as I struggled to get free.

"Let go of me!" I shrieked while struggling to get free.

"Why have you forsaken us?!" One of them cried out.

"Don't leave us for dead, Rose!" Another wailed.

"Why did you choose _him_ over us?!" Another questioned in anguish.

I screamed out in horror, once again. My pleas were failing. Why wouldn't they let me go? Why were they calling me Rose? Why were they blaming me for whatever happened to them. I didn't understand. My mind finally snapped. My eyes went wide and I yelled out at the top of my lungs, "SUBARU! NOELLE! MATHIAS! SAVE ME!"

A violet light encircled me and the ghost-like mermaids screamed out in pain. They released me and shriveled away into nothingness. Their voices were forever etched within my mind. I could still hear them screaming out to me.

_Why have you forsaken us?!_ I don't know.

_Don't leave us for dead, Rose!_ It wasn't my fault.

_Why did you choose _him_ over us?!_ Because I love him.

When the light faded away, I was laying on a bed in a room somewhere in the palace ruins. However, I was alone and didn't feel like I was suffocating like I had felt with all of those ghosts clinging to me. I was breathing in staggered breaths as I looked around the room. I had no idea how I got here. A moment ago, I was in that hallway and now, I was here. My frightened eyes were drawn to the soft violet light that encircled my pendant. I got up and swam over to where it was glowing and I took it in my hands. The light from my pearl had saved me. I would be alright now.

I quickly placed the pendant around my neck where I would make sure it stayed. I didn't want to lose it again—especially in this place. My pearl's light began to fade and I was beginning to feel uneasy once more. I had to leave—and soon. I had a feeling that those ghosts were searching for me. I wasn't this 'Rose' who they kept going on and on about.

I took a final glance at the place where my pearl had been to find that there was a beautifully decorated book where my pendant had once been. My eyes widened in shock. That hadn't been there a moment ago! My fingers trembled as I ran them along the cover of the book. That feeling of being utterly alone seeped through my veins as I took the book into my arms and opened it. Black ink written in fancy handwriting covered almost every page that had been bound together. I flipped through the pages, admiring the script that was so beautifully written. However, I realized that this book was a journal; the accounts of a mermaid's personal life. I had no right to be flipping through it.

I was about to place the book back down when a piercing wail sounded throughout the room. Fear shot throughout my entire body and I thought myself an idiot for not listening to that feeling of impending doom. I spun around, tightly holding the journal to my chest with my eyes wide open in fright. There were more mermaids barricading the main entrance to the room. I quickly glanced around the room and was quite relieved to find that there was a balcony—just like in my room. Without a moment of hesitation, I swam for it.

"NO!"

"Do not leave us, Rose!"

Their pleading voices full of anguish were just the thing I needed to pick up my already fast pace and get to the surface. I swam and I swam both out of fear and desperation. I was getting closer to the surface now and I didn't dare look back to see if I was being followed. I was almost there. Almost. Just a little bit further.

"You will not leave us for dead!"

"Stay with us!"

I screamed out as I felt the ghosts leech onto my tail. I didn't want to stay with them! I wasn't dead! I wasn't their 'Rose'! I was Caren, the purple mermaid princess of the Antarctic Ocean! Younger twin sister to Noel, deep blue mermaid princess of the Arctic Ocean! I wasn't going to stay in some ghost-infested ruins! I turned to look at the ghost mermaid in absolute rage.

"NO!" I screamed loudly so that they might process my harsh words. "I am _not_ staying with you! I did _not_ leave you for dead! I did _not_ forsake you! Oh, and I am _NOT_ Rose!"

I lunged forward as if the attack the mermaids and they backed away while wailing and shrieking. I took the only oppouritunity I had and I made a break for the surface. I swam faster than I could have thought possible until I came flying up through the ice. I instantly turned back into my human-like form and began running the moment I touched the ground. I held the journal close to my chest as if it were the very essence of my life. I didn't know why the book had become so important to me. All I knew was that I needed it. Perhaps this book was the reason my pearl went into the ruins in the first place. Perhaps I needed to read what was in this book.

Still, I wasn't sure if I should just go and read someone's journal. It didn't seem right at all. I slowed my pace to a walk as I neared Subaru's home and I looked down at the book in my arms. The book, itself, was a dark shade of royal purple—something I would've expected for something found in the Antarctic Ocean. The cover was lined with lavender thread that was woven into many intricate designs which bordered the part of the cover that made my stomach churn. Right, smack-dab in the middle of it were frozen lilacs that were made up of diamonds, amethysts and emeralds that were imbedded in the cover. My scent—the scent that compelled Mathias to choose me as the one person he would turn.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

"Caren, are you… alright?"

My golden eyes flickered over to Subaru as he sat at his desk with the computer. There was worry evident in his blue eyes that usually sparkled. I didn't understand why he was asking me this but I nodded to show him that I was fine. That seemed to make him relax somewhat but… I couldn't help but feel as if something was unsettling him. He didn't even notice that I had moved him to his bed when he woke up this morning. He just came out of his room looking very panicked, scanning the room for me.

I wondered if he knew if I had left last night but, he didn't bring anything up. He seemed more unsettled than I had been last night. I didn't understand why he was so bothered by something that had to do with me. I was practically a stranger to him. We only really knew each other for a few hours. It was… bizarre. He had seemed so cheerful last night and now… he was worried about something.

I watched him as he worked on something at his computer. The tension in his body was making me rather nervous. I didn't understand what he was upset about. I couldn't figure out the reason either. I didn't know him well enough to be able to. I also didn't know him well enough to know how he'd react if I asked him what was wrong. Then again, it was the only thing that I could do. I took in a deep breath.

"Subaru?" I started, glancing over in his direction.

He looked back over at me, eyes somber and pensive. "Hmm? What is it?"

I looked down at my lap feeling slightly shy. "Well… you don't seem very happy. I know that I've only known you for a little while but… I don't think that's normal for you, is it?"

Subaru let out a long sigh. "No, it's not."

He looked at the computer screen again before becoming frustrated with what he was doing. He turned the screen off and then came over to sit by me on the couch. We were sitting on the opposite sides of the couch that we had been sitting on last night so his scent was blowing right at me. Today, his scent was more refreshing to me and I didn't have to panic at the thought of trying to kill him. That was definitely the plus side of what had happened last night. I had finally gotten a bite to drink. I pulled myself out of my thoughts as Subaru began to speak.

"Gah, I can't work with my mind in the state it's in." He muttered bitterly before trying to muster a smile. "I'm sorry Caren. I usually am a lot more cheerful than this. It's just that… well… let's not talk about vampires late at night again, okay?"

I tilted my head to the side in confusion. That was… all that he wanted to say? I couldn't fathom the reason why. We were merely just joking about vampires. He didn't really believe that I actually was one, did he? That couldn't have been right. Subaru was a scientist who should be thinking logically. He shouldn't believe in vampires even though I knew that they were real. Subaru gently laughed when he saw my expression.

"It's nothing to really worry about so don't worry. I guess the mood that the conversation brought on kind of gave me a bad dream. That's all." He explained quickly.

He was lying. That much I could tell. His eyes showed off that he was trying desperately to keep something from me. He was omitting the truth. I let out a sigh and closed my eyes. I focused on the sound of Subaru's heartbeat as it began to slow after lying just a moment ago. His heart would speed up again as I spoke. I knew it would.

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" I stated while trying to turn it into a question.

I was right. The rhythm sped up. I was expecting another omitted truth to come from his lips but instead, he said something completely different. He gave me a question that I was not expecting.

"Caren, where were you last night?" He asked quietly, his eyes gazing deep within my own.

I was left speechless. He knew that I had left? "How…?"

"I woke up last night because I thought I heard you scream out for help but, when I awoke, I was in my room. I came out here and you weren't here either. I was really worried. I was out looking for you for a long time. I was scared that you might have…"

My face fell to an expression of sadness. I had caused Subaru to worry about me. And not only that but, he was out _looking_ for me. In the middle of the night, at that! I was beginning to feel really bad. How could I do that to him?

"Oh, Subaru, I… wait, hold on a second." I recalled something he just said—something I had missed before. "Did you say that… you heard me call out for help?"

I didn't think my face could become any paler than it was but, I was sure that I'd just turned a shade whiter. Images from last night flowed through my mind, reminding me of the terror I had faced in the mermaid graveyard. I could clearly remember wails and moans of the ghosts that clung to me. I also remembered feeling completely helpless and calling out for Subaru, Noel and Mathias. Did Subaru hear me calling out to him?

"Yeah, I did. It sounded like you were really frightened. The way you called out… it made me scared too." Subaru paused momentarily as if he were lingering in indecision about what he should say next. "It was almost like… no. Never mind. It's nothing."

"Nothing? Really?" I raised my eyebrow at Subaru's reply. It was so not 'nothing'. "Subaru, just tell me. What's on your mind? Please, let me know."

I could see the conflict in his eyes. He was looking away from me, deep in thought. I could see that he didn't want to tell me what was on his mind. I knew I shouldn't expect him to tell me but… I wanted to know. If I was causing problems in his life, I would leave. I didn't want to cause him grief.

"You really want to know?" He asked, still unsure about whether or not he was going to tell me.

I nodded, showing my interest. He breathed in deeply before speaking. "Alright then. But my thoughts on how you sounded when you called out to me may have been affected by the dream I had which, as I said before, had to do with our conversation on vampires.

"Now, I know that this is odd to say to some stranger who I only met last night but, last night, I dreamt of you. The whole dream was centered on that story of the mermaid princess and the vampire. See, in my dream, you were the mermaid princess. I didn't know who the vampire was. All I could really say about him was that he had really gold eyes and dark hair. He was going to kill you, Caren. I recall being there, trying to intervene and save you but, for some reason, I couldn't. There was no way I could get to you. The only other thing I recall was that there was another girl there who was calling out to you and wanted to save you just like me. Then I heard you scream. It sounded so real—like you were right there in front of me. Even after I awoke, I swear, I could still hear your voice echoing off the walls. It sounded like… like you were being killed."

Subaru spoke that last phrase through clenched teeth. I was finding it hard to comprehend his story. I was sure that the vampire he described was Mathias but… Mathias was trying to kill me? And what of this other girl? Could it have been Miranda? But if Subaru's dream was based off of that vampire story then, neither he or this mystery girl would have been there, right? But his dream wasn't what shocked me. What shocked me was the fact that he had heard me call out to him. Did that mean that Noel and Mathias had heard me too?

A shiver ran through my body as I tried to think of what they might have thought. Noel would have been scared out of her wits and would possibly be on her way to my kingdom right now. Mathias, on the other hand… Oh, I knew how he could get at times. I knew that his mood could change as quickly as a bolt of lightning. His reaction would be a lot harder to figure out. He might have thought that his father had found me or that something terrible had happened in his and Miranda's absence.

But what about Subaru? Noel was a mermaid and Mathias was a vampire. They both knew about supernatural happenings. Subaru was human. This must have been so confusing for him. He was a scientist who was getting caught up in supernatural occurrences and it was all my fault. I glanced over to find the fluffy blonde-haired male looking distraught and unhappy. I felt the need to comfort him—to hold him.

I felt my body moving towards his and I felt myself wrap my arms around his waist. His arms wrapped around me and he pulled me close to him. I allowed him to hold me like that for a long time. Frankly, I didn't mind comforting him. He needed support right now.

"Subaru," I started in a soft voice. "About last night… I went out to get some fresh air and got completely distracted by a seal. I didn't mean to worry you. And dreams are dreams. I don't think that any vampires will be killing me anytime soon."

I tried to smile at that last phrase as if I was completely joking. That whole line I just spoke was like a joke to me. I went out to get fresh air so that I wouldn't kill Subaru. I got distracted by a leopard seal because it attacked me and tried to eat me. Oh, and vampires may very well be on their way to come and kill me. Not that I would ever tell Subaru this. I didn't want to complicate his life.

"Well, a dream is a dream, I suppose." Subaru said through a sigh. "I'm 99.9 percent sure that you won't get attacked by vampires. Fresh air is good as well but… just be careful when dealing with seals—especially leopard seals. They're dangerous animals."

"I'll bet they are." I said with a smile on my face. I learned that one the hard way. Aside from that, though, I had the chance to lighten the mood. "But wait a minute… 99.9 percent? Does that mean that you believe that there could be vampires lurking in the darkness?"

Subaru smiled. "Well, there are a lot of strange occurrences that happen in the world. Who knows? Maybe vampires _do_ exist and people just haven't been looking hard enough."

"Or maybe vampires have just gone out and stated what they were, knowing that they wouldn't be believed by the humans." I suggested with a wide grin on my face. This was too amusing.

Subaru rolled his eyes at me. "Caren, you are _not_ a vampire. Stop suggesting it. Besides, you're supposed to be the mermaid princess, remember?"

I could hear the sarcasm in his voice but I couldn't help but let out a small giggle. This was far too amusing for my own good! Apparently I didn't have to tell him that I was a mermaid princess but when I went right out and said I was a vampire, he didn't believe me! Subaru gave me a confused look as I continued to giggle.

"I'm sorry, did I miss something here?" He asked, confused.

I was still grinning when I replied. "No, it's nothing at all. Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I suppose you're right." Subaru said with a frown. He instantly smiled right after which made me very happy. His eyes were sparkling again. "You know, I'm glad we had this talk. I feel so much better now."

"I'm glad." I stated with a smile, slightly pulling myself away from Subaru when I remembered that my arms were still wrapped around him. If my heart still worked, it would be sending blood to my cheeks right now.

Subaru must have noticed the awkwardness between us because I saw that his cheeks turned a pinkish colour. His heart was also speeding up as well. That made me smile. He was embarrassed. It was kind of cute.

"Well, uh, I should probably get some more work done. I still have a lot of information that I have to get processed."

I nodded and moved out of the way so that he could get up. My eyes fell upon the journal which I had put aside and curiosity was getting a hold of me. "I think I'm gonna go outside for a bit. I'll be nearby, I promise."

"Within my sight from the door, okay?"

I nodded towards Subaru's limitations and I headed for the door, picking up the journal on my way out. As soon as I was outside, I scanned the area for a decent spot to just sit and read in privacy. I wandered a fair distance away from Subaru's home before I planted myself in a pile of snow. I was still in Subaru's view so, this should be fine.

I looked down at the book in my lap and I carefully opened it to the first page. The first thing I looked at was the date. My eyes widened in shock. _February 14, 999_. This entry was written over a thousand years ago and on my birthday as well! My eyes quickly jumped to the first line of the entry and I became absorbed within the words on the page.

_Human males are such primitive creatures. They are so simple minded and believe that they should have more power over women. To a human male, my writing in this book might be considered a crime against the church. I might be considered a heretic. However, my need to write down the events of this night seems vital._

_I saw him for the first time in four years. He has changed so much from the boy I once knew him as. Although it is forbidden for me to do so, my heart yearns for his love. I believe that is what he wishes as well. No man has ever treated me with such compassion and kindness—especially not a human man. He is just so perfect. If there was only one way to celebrate the anniversary of my birth, it would be to hold him in my arms._

_I've thought about going on land to meet with him. I've thought about showing him my truest affections for him. However, fate prevents me from doing so. Were I to reveal my identity, I would lose my very life. Is this such a risk that I would be willing to take? Although fate does not allow for this match, I have decided to take this risk to see my love and to make him realize my identity. I shall leave the ocean at dawn and seek out my love._

This mermaid's life intrigued me. It was so similar to Lucia's life that I found it hard to believe. However, this journal had captured me just like a good novel. I wanted to see where this was going. I wanted to see how this mermaid's experience on land must have been like. I quickly flipped the page and began reading the next entry.

_February 15, 999_

_I have seen many horrifying things today. Things which I would not wish to ever again see. I have seen death in her darkest form and an act of heresy that is so great, I feel I have sinned for merely witnessing it._

_The day started out quite well. I adjusted to having a human body quite well. I even found my way easily to the city where he lived. His father was a noble and owned a very large house. It would not be too difficult for me to find. However, the things I saw in that great city were terrible! The streets were littered with bodies of dead or dying men, women and children! Some humans even pushed carts with bodies stacked onto them as if to clear them away! I don't believe I have seen anything more frightful in my life!_

_I wanted away from the visions of death. I hurried through the city until I passed by an old abandoned church. The thought of an abandoned church surprised me. I thought that humans practiced the religion of Christianity. A church should not be abandoned this way. I felt the need to explore the barren place of holiness. That was when I saw his father._

_He was praying to the evil one! He was worshipping the devil! My eyes beheld a frightful event in that small fraction of time. The evil one himself emerged within the room and spoke to the nobleman. A dreadful deal was made. His father would have to take away human life in return for great power and immortality. I did not wish to stay to see the rest of the events unfold. I would not be falsely accused of heresy were I to be caught there. I fled back to the ocean._

_I do not know what I should do now. My love's father is the devil himself. How shall I ever be with my love if his father is a heretic?_

All of this talk of heretics and heresy was beginning to bore me. So what if people were practicing a different religion? What about the guy that this mermaid loves? What was going on with him if his father was off and making deals with the devil? I just didn't get it. If this mermaid really loved the guy, she would've gotten more details, right?

I closed the book and let out a sigh. I didn't feel much like reading right now. I would try again later when I had nothing better to do. For now, I would just watch Subaru work. He was the most interesting person I knew on Antarctica. Well, he was the only person I knew on Antarctica.

I silently headed back for Subaru's home and I glanced longingly up at the sky. I could feel my heart aching as I thought of the vampire that stopped it. I still loved him a lot. I had gone far too long without my air. I wondered where he was right now. What was he doing? Was it possible that he had heard my voice—even though I was on the bottom of the earth? I closed my eyes tightly as I imagined the scene that must've taken place.

I could see him speaking to Miranda about certain matters concerning my life and how he was going to keep me safe. Then he would hear my tormented scream for help. I could see him tensing up, his beautiful golden eyes going wide with fright. "_No, no, NO!_" he would scream loudly as panic overwhelmed him. I could see Miranda attempting to calm him down but only making the matter worse. Then Mathias would scream out my name and go off looking for the creature that posed me any threat.

I could feel my eyes watering as I thought about Mathias. He would be so worried about me. He might feel as if he had failed to protect me. I might've made him feel this way. All because my pearl had to be drawn into that freakish hell. I felt the tears fall from the corners of my eyes and I felt overcome by sorrow. Sorrow for Mathias—no one else. I looked down at the journal in my arms, suddenly feeling compelled to read more. I planted myself on the ground and I flipped to the next entry.

_February 25, 999_

_I fear that I have not written in quite a while. I have avoided the surface and have been staying with my sister in the Arctic Ocean._

Whoa! Hold on a minute! This mermaid had a sister in the Arctic Ocean? I was finding this hard to believe. This mermaid was almost exactly like me. This journal had been written over a thousand years ago! How could there be all of these connections? I stopped, trying to piece things together. This mermaid was in love with a human. She had a sister in the Arctic Ocean. She was getting caught up in supernatural things. It sounded a lot like me.

I then thought of Subaru's dream. I was the mermaid princess and Mathias was the vampire king. In the second entry of this journal, the mermaid mentioned witnessing an act of heresy—her lover's father making a deal with the devil. I had heard this story somewhere before. Mathias spoke of his father and how his father was the very first vampire. But how would that connect to this story. How did it connect to this mermaid? No, not just mermaid—mermaid princess. She couldn't possibly be referring to Mathias and his father, could she? No! If Mathias had known a mermaid princess, he would have told me! I had to keep reading; I had to figure this out.

_Recently, I returned to the surface. My love had come to search for me. He was waiting by the water's edge. I remembered him rushing into the ocean to embrace me. He looked at me with those beautiful eyes of his. Oh, I do believe that I will never forget his eyes. They are the most magnificent shade of blue I have ever seen. They were light—just like the sky. I have seen no other eyes that can hold as much love and devotion as his. If I could, I would gaze into his eyes and become lost within them forever._

_When I saw him today, he told me that he loved me. He said he wanted me for his wife. I accepted his proposal. Oh, I should hope that things will turn out alright for us. We will have the most perfect life together! After all, I am seventeen years of age. It is about time I was to wed. My life is almost half over. If I am not to marry now then, I don't believe I shall ever be married._

I thought deeply on what this girl had written. She was seventeen and she was suggesting that she should already be married? I shuddered at the thought. I was eighteen and I wasn't even considering marriage right now. However, I got something cleared up. Her love couldn't possibly be Mathias. Mathias didn't have light blue eyes that were full of love and devotion. He had gold eyes that were lustful and unforgiving. In fact, by the sounds of the guy that this mermaid princess was writing about, he was completely different from Mathias. Both his appearance and personality were completely different. He and Mathias would have been complete opposites.

I closed the book for now and got up off the ground. This must not have been the story that Subaru had told me. I still couldn't really believe the part in Subaru's story which mentions that the vampire king kills a mermaid princess. Mathias would never do that. _Really? I thought that he was going to kill you the night that he turned you._

I tried to shut my pessimistic thoughts up and I headed for Subaru's home. Mathias wasn't going to kill me. He was going to turn me from the start. _Was he really?_ Yes! Of course he was! Why was I even debating with myself? God, that vampire insanity must be kicking in.

"I'm back!" I said with a smile as I entered Subaru's home.

He looked over at me and waved. "Hey! Did it get too cold for you?"

I shook my head while setting the journal down on the couch. "I just got bored. Hey, where is your craptastic hot chocolate? I want some."

Subaru laughed at me before pointing to a cupboard. I grinned at him before I went to scavenge the cupboard he pointed at. I easily found the hot chocolate and I put some of the powdery mix into a mug. I then proceeded to put water in a kettle and waited for it to boil. I made my way back over to the couch and sat down while picking up the journal once more. I suppose I could read a bit more.

After a few pages of reading, the kettle began to whistle. I set the journal down and went back over to the mini kitchen to finish making my hot chocolate. When I turned around to go back to the couch, Subaru had gotten off his computer and was eyeing the journal.

"What is that?" He asked curiously.

"It's a journal. I found it when I was out last night." I explained as I sat back down.

"You found it?" He repeated sounding slightly surprised. "Where?"

"I found it in a crack in the ice." Along with the ruins of an ancient underwater palace with a bunch of dead mermaids who were trying to kill me and make me feel guilty for something I didn't do.

"Really?"

Subaru sounded mystified as he looked at the book in my lap. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. I didn't blame him though. I'd be interested too if someone found something like this in the most barren place in the world. I'd bet he'd be even more surprised if he saw he cover.

"Yeah. Apparently it was written over a thousand years ago. I think that the owner of it was a mermaid princess. However, the only thing that she goes on about is her lover and her lover's father who she keeps complaining is a heretic."

Subaru thought about my words for a while before answering. "Well, if this was written around a thousand years ago then, it was written in the late Dark Ages. Christianity was becoming a big thing then. Everyone was converting to it and whoever didn't was considered a heretic and would either be burned at the stake or would be excommunicated from the church."

I looked up at Subaru, a joking gleam in my eyes. "You seem quite informed on this stuff. Are you a historian as well?"

Subaru laughed, shaking his head. "No, I'm not. I just remember this stuff from a history course that I took in high school."

"Wow. Good memory." I said with a laugh.

I looked back down at the book in my lap. So that was the deal with all this talk of heresy. But wasn't the devil a part of Christianity? Wouldn't the mermaid's fiancé's father be considered a devil worshipper rather than a heretic? Well, I suppose it didn't matter. I yawned—something merely out of habit—and rested my head against Subaru's shoulder. I felt his arm fall around my shoulders and hold me there as he observed the words on the page I had been reading.

"It sounds like she really loved this guy," he murmured gently.

"Yeah, she really must have what with the way that she just goes on and on and on about him. They were going to get married and she kept going on about how she was excited to be his wife and would be able to bear his children." I explained with a smile.

The thought seemed silly to me. Most women didn't look forward to child birth or bearing a man's child. I certainly wasn't able to be that girl. Not anymore. There was no possible way that I was ever going to have children. I heard Subaru chuckle and I looked up at him.

"Who would ever want to risk giving birth to children? They might turn out evil like my younger brothers." He said through a laugh.

I chuckled softly before my reply turned quiet and somber. "I would…"

Subaru glanced at me, worry seeping into his eyes. "Caren…?"

I stayed silent recalling a memory of mine. I was young and didn't understand why I couldn't see Noel. I didn't like the fact that I had to be separated. I remembered saying that I wanted to have two baby girls and I would let them grow up together. I wouldn't separate them. But now… that would never happen. I could never have two baby girls.

"Caren, you… can't have children, can you?" Subaru said silently.

I looked at him slightly shocked. He seriously had the guts to say that to me? And how did he figure it out so quickly? A deep blush crossed his face and he looked away from me.

"Oh, I'm sorry for saying that. I don't know why I said it. I shouldn't have said it, I'm sorry."

I was surprised at how embarrassed Subaru had become. I guess some guys just say things without thinking. However, he seemed genuinely sorry and upset about what he said. I couldn't just leave him hanging like that and not say something.

"Don't be sorry, Subaru. You were absolutely right about me." I said quietly while looking back down at my lap. "It's just not something that I really think about, that's all."

Subaru became quiet and thoughtful. "Well, I am sorry if I said something that upset you. You just looked really sad when you said that you would risk having evil children."

I thought about what he said and decided that it was time to lighten the mood. I could tell that the subject was making him uneasy. I forced a grin on my face before taking on a joking tone to my voice. "Well, if I could have children, they would end up evil anyways. I'm a vampire, remember?"

"Oh, that's right." Subaru recalled, that joking tone reflecting in his voice. "You're an evil vampire with the most dastardly plans but forgot to arrange a place to stay when you decided to visit Antarctica."

My jaw dropped. There was another blow to my ego. Subaru was kind of a jerk. He wasn't being very nice to me. Then again, he was letting me stay with him when he really didn't have to. I guess I owed him that. But still…

"You are a jerk to me." I stated while softly punching his shoulder.

He grinned and ruffled my hair. "I know. I'm sorry. I just can't resist."

"'Can't'?" I repeated incredulously. "You mean you're still going to take hits at my slowly breaking ego?"

Subaru laughed. "I won't if you don't want me to. Although, I'll certainly miss it."

I rolled my eyes and shoved Subaru away from me while muttering the work 'jerk' through a smile. I could hear Subaru softly chuckling beside me. He sounded smug in his laugh and it made me shake my head. I watched him get up and go over to his computer to do more research. I smiled at him before sprawling myself across the couch to continue reading. I found it really hard to believe that, twenty-four hours ago, I was the most depressed creature in the entire ocean. I seemed so much happier now.

And I was happy.


	2. Reunion and Revelation

I won't say much here. This section is pretty much MMPure Episode 15 plus extra stuff. There are lots of cute scenes in this. :3 Anyways, the next part will be posted on **Friday December 19****th**.

**Divine Expectations**  
Reunion and Revelation  
_Written by: Jazlynn_

I had been living with Subaru for about two weeks now. I was amazed at how attached I had become to him. His smile, his eyes, his voice, his scent—everything about him, I just had to see everyday. He was like the best friend I had never really had. We talked a lot more often now—vampires being one of our favourite topics, surprisingly. He still demanded that he sleep on the couch and I agreed only to later carry him into his room when he was asleep. I also went out hunting more frequently to prevent myself from accidentally attacking Subaru. I couldn't afford to do that now. Not now that I was happy.

A cold breeze swept across my face as I stood, staring at a glacier that contrasted against the night sky. We discovered the landmark a little over a week ago and Subaru moved his home over to this area. Apparently, the glacier was melting a lot faster than the rest of the ice. Because of it, the ground occasionally trembled and it would be difficult to stand up right. But, not only was the ice melting fast, I kept getting these strange vibes—as if I knew that there was something—_or someone_—causing this.

I sighed softly, taking in the beauty of the land around me. It was a winter wonderland—a glorious sight to behold. I couldn't even fathom the reason why I'd never come up here often before. Wait, I knew the reason:

Subaru.

He was the only reason why I was even up here in the first place. The very thought of him made me smile. It made me smile even more as I began to hear the sound of boots crunching in the snow. Apparently, 'the reason why I was here' was trying to sneak up on me. I mentally prepared myself, afraid that Subaru might try to scare me. Instead, he did the opposite of scaring me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked me softly, referring to the icy landscape.

I hummed pleasantly in response as I turned back to look at him. His eyes were ice blue yet, they were warm as Subaru acknowledged me. He was just so… cute. I think that was the word I was looking for.

I found it amazing, really. I had befriended Subaru and had known him for only two short weeks and, already, I felt closer to him than I was to Mathias. Or maybe, that hole that Mathias had left in my chest was beginning to fade. I wondered if Mathias had abandoned me. He still hadn't come to the Antarctic and my memory of him was becoming quite vague. Perhaps he _hadn't_ heard my cry for help on that frightful night that seemed like ages ago.

"You know… the heat's getting a lot stronger all of a sudden."

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turned to look at Subaru who seemed worried as he looked at the large glacier that I had been gazing at. I repeated what he said, feeling slightly shocked by the bit of information he had just told me. "The heat's… getting stronger? How can that be?"

"I don't know." Subaru replied looking quite troubled. A smile then lit up his face and he looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, Caren. I have you worrying about an issue that I should be dealing with."

I shook my head in disagreement. "Please, Subaru. I _want_ to be here. I _want_ to help."

"Alright." Subaru said while flashing me a bright smile. "I mean, it isn't like I can stop you from doing anything. I'm already about to give up on demanding that I sleep on the couch."

I laughed. Subaru disliked waking up in his bed to find me lying on the couch to greet him in the mornings. It was mainly because he would fall asleep on the couch the night before and then wake up in his bed in the morning. It became somewhat of an inside joke between us. I couldn't imagine that joke being interrupted by me actually _listening_ to him.

"Well, maybe one day I'll actually leave you on the couch." I said with a smirk. Subaru chuckled in response. He glanced back over at the glacier and I did the same. My face then became serious. "All joking aside though, I get the feeling that something unnatural is causing this glacier to melt. I just have this really odd feeling about it. But I still can't understand why all of this is happening."

"Well, we'll just have to figure this thing out, won't we?" Subaru said, his magnificent eyes sparkling once again. All of a sudden, a bright and excited look entered those eyes of his and I felt caught of guard by how amazing he looked. "Hey, let's go, right now!"

Shock and confusion flickered in my golden eyes? "Right now? What? I don't understand…"

Subaru seemed slightly impatient with my response as if I couldn't grasp what he was trying to tell me. "Let's go find out what's causing the ice to melt! If it's some unnatural cause then I'm sure that we'll be able to find it!"

I looked at Subaru skeptically with a smirk on my face. "You're being spontaneous again, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. Now let's go!" Subaru demanded excitedly while taking my hand in his own.

"Subaru…" I moaned in protest as the blonde male tried to pull me away from my spot.

In all honesty though, I wanted to go along with Subaru. I wanted to run off in this spur of the moment and enjoy this childish adventure with him. I wanted to be spontaneous alongside him. I wanted him to never let go of my hand. I felt good when he held my hand like that. It was as if he were sending me good vibes and nothing else. Subaru was good. He was everything that I could have ever wanted.

My thoughts were disturbed as the ground began to tremble beneath my feet. This tremor was a lot worse than any of the ones before. I gasped and my arms flew up to catch my balance. I was able to regain my composure but, Subaru wasn't as lucky. He had fallen to the ground and he looked shocked. He looked up at me with confused eyes.

"I fell…" he murmured quietly as if he were a dejected puppy.

The way that he spoke made me laugh out loud. I couldn't help myself! Subaru was just too cute! In that moment, I was glad that the tremor had knocked him over. His reply was just so priceless!

Subaru groaned as he tried to stand back up. "Okay, okay, stop laughing at me. How can _you_ manage to keep your balance?"

I smirked, ready to pull out another one of our inside jokes. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: I'm a vampire."

Subaru rolled his eyes as he regained his composure. "Caren, I still don't believe you. You aren't a vampire. I'd believe that you were a mermaid princess before I'd believe that you were a vampire."

I cocked my head to the side. "What, they can't be mixed?"

"I don't think so. Wouldn't there be some sort of rule against that?"

Oh, the irony! Oh the heavy sarcasm and irony that Subaru would _never_ pick up on! "Yeah, I've heard about that rule."

A smirk was evident on my face but, Subaru wouldn't understand why. I found it amusing how he was unknowingly aware of the complete truth about me except for my 'vampiracy'. He even suggested that I might be a mermaid princess and that he would believe that that was what I truly am. Haha, if only he knew…

Another tremor shook the ground beneath us and, this time, my balance had switched with Subaru's. I fell forward and into the arms of the fluffy blonde haired male. I looked up at him and blinked a few times before looking back over at the glacier. A piece of ice was beginning to slide down it. My eyes widened in shock and I looked back at Subaru.

"The glacier is beginning to fall apart."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

All I could do was watch in anxiety and eagerness as I sent off one of my messenger penguins. I had sent for the penguin to come to me on the surface using my pearl. It was the only kind of communication I had given to my kingdom since I first came up to the surface. Now I was sending a message to the other mermaid princesses, well, Lucia, Hanon and Rina anyways. I knew that those three were still living in the same place so, it'd be easier to ask them for help.

I let out a sigh as I headed back to my home. I still found it hard to believe that I was now considering the house on wheels to be my home. Up until now, my home had been wherever Mathias was. I felt as if he was fading away from me completely. Then there was the other fact that was attached to that—I didn't really care. I felt as if my life could go on without him. And it was.

I focused on the snow crunching beneath my feet as I walked and I noticed something. I felt heavy. I felt as if I was tired. I couldn't possibly be tired, could I? Maybe it wasn't tiredness. Maybe it was something else. What exactly it was though, I had no idea. I just knew that something was weighing on my shoulders.

I pulled the door open to my home and I silently crept over to the couch. I allowed myself to fall onto it and I closed my eyes. Normally, I would've waited for sleep to overcome me but, I knew better. Instead, I listened to Subaru as he sat at his computer, figuring out more things about the drastic change in temperature, I presumed. I listened to his steady breathing and the beautiful rhythm of his heart. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard.

I heard a chair move and then I heard footsteps approaching me. A smile crossed my face as I felt the warm breath of my fluffy-haired scientist hit me. My golden eyes flashed open and he was kneeling at my side just looking at me.

"Hey," I greeted softly.

"Hey," he greeted back. "Are you tired?"

"No, not really." I admitted while sitting up.

Subaru sat down beside me and, for some reason; I leaned against him as if I was tired. I was surprised when his arms wrapped around me. I could feel the heat radiating off of his body, warming my ice cold skin. I had never felt anything like this before. It wasn't like being held by Mathias. It was different. It was more… loving.

I breathed in his glorious scent and I felt as if I had been whisked away to some far away place. I imagined myself in endless fields of lush green where the sun was shining down on me with all of its splendor. I saw myself lying in those fields with someone by my side. I turned to see myself looking at a man with blonde hair and blue eyes but, it wasn't Subaru.

I snapped out of my fantasy and looked up at the blonde. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was the one who was tired. I smiled at his calm demeanor and I softly blew cool air into his face. His eyes flickered open and he looked somewhat surprised. I giggled.

"Are _you_ tired?" I asked, repeating his last question.

"Nah," he said. "Just resting."

He smiled and pulled me close to him and I gladly welcomed the invitation. I snuggled up into his chest and I rested my head against his shoulder. For a moment, I was overwhelmed by his scent and I was distracted by the flow of blood beneath his skin. I leaned forward as if in a trance and I let my lips softly touch his neck. My lips gently parted and—no! I froze to think through my actions and I pushed all of my instinctive thoughts out of my head.

I slowly pulled my mouth away from his neck and I chanced looking up into Subaru's eyes. I saw sky blue filled with shock and awe. I also saw reflected gold filled with hidden horror and regret.

"Caren…" he murmured gently.

He lifted his hand to brush my purple hair out of my face and he leaned forward. I closed my eyes and felt Subaru's lips touch my own. It felt as if electricity was surging through my veins in that instant. It didn't create a burning feeling like when I had first been turned but, this feeling made me feel good. It made me feel _alive_.

Subaru pulled away from me all too soon and I still wanted more. His expression seemed rather surprised but I didn't care; I leaned forward to kiss him. He accepted my actions and pulled me closer to him. I held onto him tightly—almost too tightly. And then, a memory surfaced in my mind.

_His lips pressed gently against mine and I felt as if I could soar. My eyes closed so that I could focus on his kiss and memorize his lips. He tasted like heaven and I never wanted the kiss to end. However, when it did, I found that his golden eyes were fierce as if they were hungry for more that I could offer. I found myself pressing my body against his and I kissed him this time. His hold on me became more aggressive and I felt as if he were crushing me. I forced myself to pull my lips away from his and I gasped for air._

Subaru pulled away from me and greedily took in air. I suddenly felt numb. It was dangerous to have kissed Subaru like that. I understood why _he_ acted the way he had that one night. I was all too tempting for him to resist. Now I was in _his_ place and Subaru was in mine. I lowered my eyes as a wave of guilt washed over me and put me in a state of shame.

"Sorry…" I mumbled incoherently.

I felt Subaru lift my chin with his hand so that I was looking into his eyes once more. "Don't be. That was… I mean… you are an _incredibly_ good kisser."

If I could blush, my face would be a bright shade of red. Unfortunately for me though, my eyes usually said everything. Subaru would be able to tell how embarrassed I felt in that moment. What he wouldn't be able to tell was that I had almost killed him. My memory of Mathias had saved his fragile life.

"Umm, thank you." I replied quietly to his statement.

Subaru was smiling again. It wasn't a genuine smile that he usually wore. This smile was different. It seemed kind of… devious? As I sat there trying to figure out what his smile meant, Subaru lifted me up into his arms and began to carry me across the room. I let out a yelp of surprise and clung to him.

"Subaru, what are you doing?" I demanded, still slightly surprised.

"It's late and I am going to make sure that you don't wander back to the couch again." He stated simply.

I blinked in confusion as he gently kicked the door open to his room. He carried me inside and gently set me down on his bed. It was dark, yet, I could still see Subaru smiling at me. I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"So what now?" I asked. "Do you plan on watching me until I fall asleep?"

"Maybe…" Subaru mused while looking at me thoughtfully. Another devious smile crossed his face then. "Or I could just hold you here all night."

I didn't know what happened then. One moment, Subaru was standing at the edge of the bed and the next; he was lying on the bed next to me with his arms locked around my body. I let out a fake scream for help and tried to struggle out of his arms while laughing. Of course, there was no effort behind my struggling. I could easily get away from Subaru if I wanted to. The thing was; I _didn't_ want to get away from Subaru. I _wanted_ him to hold me. I _wanted_ to lie beside him. It felt _right_.

I stopped struggling and, instead, I snuggled close to him. I wrapped my arms around him and he did the same. He planted a kiss on my forehead and I hummed in response. This was the most perfect moment in my entire life. Subaru—not Mathias—Subaru made me feel completely whole.

I looked into his sparkling blue eyes and I kissed him again. I had no idea as to what was happening to me. I felt as if I was in a trance around Subaru but, I felt happy and safe. It was so much more than I could have ever imagined.

I pulled my lips away from his and took in a deep breath. I let all the air out in a satisfied sigh and I closed my eyes. I softly began to hum my song to the beat of Subaru's slowing heart. He was falling asleep.

My humming slowly turned into words. _"I'm so happy about today's morning sun that my tears begin to fall without even thinking about them… Have I seen this somewhere before, I wonder? Shining continually bright under the same sky… My dream now is still but a dream…"_

I went silent, and opened my eyes. Subaru's heart remained at a slow and steady pace and he was lying still beside me. He was sleeping and I now had all the time in the world to watch him—to just stare at how perfect he was _as a human_. He didn't have to be a vampire to look incredibly beautiful.

I thought back to my vision earlier about the blonde haired boy who was lying with me in the fields I had thought of when I breathed in Subaru's scent. Why had I thought of this boy when Subaru filled my mind? I was sure that I'd never seen this boy before. Still, he looked kind of familiar. I couldn't quite place my finger on who I was reminded of. I was all to intoxicated with Subaru's sunshiny aroma.

I tried to push the thought out of my mind as I looked upon the sleeping Subaru once more. Tomorrow would be a big day. Lucia, Hanon and Rina would be coming by and I would have to explain their random appearance to Subaru. Things would certainly be… interesting, to say the least.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I felt nervous as I waited in the ice-cold Antarctic waters. More so than usual. Very soon, I would be reunited with three of my mermaid friends. I had been worried about trying to figure things out the whole morning. What would my story be? How would I know Lucia, Hanon and Rina? How was I supposed to tell them how I knew Subaru? Everything seemed like a tangled mess. I wasn't quite coping with it well.

Soon, I had to force a smile on my face. Far off in the distance, I saw the faint silhouettes of beings swimming towards me. Although I couldn't quite make out who they were yet, I was certain that they were Lucia, Hanon and Rina and possibly Hippo. In fact, I had no doubt that it was them. They began to get clearer and clearer until I could see that it was indeed them. Soon, they were close enough that I could call out to them and they would hear.

"Rina!" I called out, recognizing Rina before I recognized the other two. "Lucia, Hanon, Rina! Over here!"

I heard them all say my name in unison and I watched as they quickly swam over to me. I swam up to meet them and I embraced each on of them.

"Oh, thank you so much for coming here." I said gratefully with a smile on my face. "I'm so glad that you could come."

"Hey, we'll always be around to help you out!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Hanon agreed quickly after.

I smiled at them and then turned to Rina. "So, Rina, how are things going with that guy you like?"

A deep blush made its way onto Rina's face and both Lucia and Hanon got devious smiles on their faces. I was pretty sure that their deviousness passed onto me as I wore a grin on my face as well.

"There… there's nothing going on!" Rina blurted out, trying to deny her obvious feelings.

I laughed and then began to swim towards the surface. I turned back to face the trio to watch them follow me. Rina was still blushing. "Oh, there will be, Rina. I guarantee it."

Lucia and Hanon laughed as they followed me up to the surface. Rina was very flushed and embarrassed but, I had to pick on someone regarding their love interest. Lucia and Kaito were old news, Hanon and Taro seemed one sided and got boring very fast but, with Rina and this mystery guy… I just couldn't resist. But I was soon to be picked on about my relationship with Subaru. That frightened me.

Very soon, the four of us were all on the snowy terrain and were headed towards the colossal glacier that I always found myself watching. Lucia, Hanon and Rina were all wearing outfits similar to mine and that kind of bothered me. Could I not be original? I ignored the thought and listened to our boots crunching in the snow.

"I'm sorry for calling you guys here on such short notice." I apologized, recognizing that they must've come right to my kingdom. "You probably didn't even get any time to rest."

"There is no time to rest." Hanon said patriotically.

"That's right!" Luchia agreed, obviously glad to be of help. "Don't worry about it, Caren."

I smiled back at them and we continued to walk until we got to the glacier. It stood there, hovering up in the sky above us like a great monument. I sighed at I looked up at it.

"Well, here it is. This is the main reason why I wanted you to come here. I'm sure that my messenger told you about it?"

Lucia gaped at the glacier when she saw it. "Wow, it's huge!"

"It's even bigger than I thought it would be." Hanon stated in awe.

"It's already started to break down, right?" Rina asked, getting right to the point of the matter.

"Yeah," I replied with a somber tone. "For some unknown reason, the ice started to tear itself apart."

Just then, the ground began to shake—another tremor. I was caught off guard by it this time and I almost lost my balance. The other three were completely taken aback, afraid for what I had forgotten to warn them about.

"What the!?" Lucia screeched as she clung to Hanon. "An earthquake!?"

"No, it wasn't." Rina clearly stated. I was surprised at how quickly she had been able to pick up on that fact. It was most definitely not an earthquake.

"Then what was it?" Hanon asked fearfully.

I looked up at the glacier, worry seeping into my expression. "The ice is shifting again, somehow."

"Hey!"

I gasped as Subaru's voice echoed towards me as well and Lucia, Hanon and Rina. They all seemed to be surprised that someone else was there.

"Where is that voice coming from?" Rina asked in shock. "Is someone else here?"

I didn't really take the time to answer her question. Subaru sounded distressed when he had called for me and I had to figure out why. I took off in the direction of his voice and the other mermaid princesses quickly followed me. I searched the terrain for Subaru and I eventually spotted him on the ground. Had he fallen again? Why would he need me if he had just fallen?

"Subaru, what happened?" I asked as I neared him, although it became quite clear when I finally saw him. His leg was trapped in the ice and snow.

"Caren," he said softly, acknowledging my presence. He smiled at me before he went on to explain what had happened. "Just now, the ice gave way under my foot and now I can't seem to get my leg out of it.

"You're alright though, right?" I asked while trying to pull some of the ice away from around his leg. "Here, I'll help you."

My task wasn't difficult at all but, I faked how hard it was. A normal person couldn't just tear chunks of ice away from something unless they used some amount of force. My acting skills had become truly amazing—even to myself.

Behind me, I heard Hanon saying how dreamy Subaru was and how she was amazed that I had actually met someone here. I rolled my eyes and almost could have smiled. Yes, I had met Subaru here. I had met Subaru in one of the most desolate places on Earth. It was funny, really. I meet a normal person in a place where no one normally is and when I'm in a place where people normally are, I meet a vampire. Haha, greaaat.

After I got rid of most of the ice, I slid my arm under Subaru's to support him and I helped pull him up out of the ice. I let out a sigh as soon as he had been freed and he looked to smile as me. His sparkling blue eyes bore deep within my own and I'm sure that I would have blushed if I could. I always wanted to blush when Subaru looked at me that way.

"Thanks, Caren." He said softly, love and gratefulness shining in his eyes. "You really saved me there."

"Geez, Subaru," I said in a playful manor, not wanting things to seem lovey-dovey between us to Lucia, Hanon and Rina. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, Caren…" Hanon started mischievously, coming right up to Subaru and I. "Who might this guy be?"

I never got a chance to respond to her before Subaru went and introduced himself.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized to her. "I should have introduced myself. My name's Subaru. I'm a researcher here."

"A researcher?" Lucia repeated curiously.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm here to figure out what's happening to the ice."

I could've sworn that there were stars in Hanon's eyes. For a moment, I found myself somewhat jealous. I seriously hoped that Hanon wasn't going to try and flirt with him the whole time. I didn't want to feel jealousy towards one of my friends.

"Wow! That is so cool!" She exclaimed, taking a shine to Subaru's career.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all!" He said while going to shake their hands.

It was then that fate decided to be cruel to him. Subaru's foot slipped on the ice and it gave way under his foot _again_. The look of embarrassment and disbelief was clearly evident on his face and I was positive that it was reflected on mine. How could that just happen to him?

"Subaru, what are you doing?" I demanded, feeling more embarrassment since Lucia, Hanon and Rina were all there watching.

I quickly helped Subaru out of the ice again and rolled my eyes. "Geez, Subaru…"

He smiled and laughed at me innocently. "Hey, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it!"

"Well, that wasn't very cool, but he seems like a nice guy." I heard Hanon say to Lucia and Rina, figuring that I probably wouldn't hear her.

"Yeah." Lucia agreed quietly. "And besides, he and Caren seem to get along really well."

Subaru turned his attention back to Lucia, Hanon and Rina. "Anyways, this is the first time I've met you all but, how do you know Caren?"

"What our connection is?" Lucia said kind of dumbfounded.

"He doesn't know about it." Hanon whispered to her.

"Oh right." She said quietly, now searching for something to say.

Subaru decided to add on another bit to his question. "And where did you come from?"

Hanon and Lucia both thought on this hard and then they both pointed in opposite directions. "From that way!"

My eyes widened in disbelief and I think my eyebrow may have twitched a few times. I couldn't believe this. I chanced a look at Subaru and he looked seriously confused by the pair. When Lucia and Hanon realized their problem, the both laughed sheepishly.

"S-sorry." Hanon apologized. "That's wrong."

Both Hanon and Lucia pointed in opposite directions again. "It was from that way."

I couldn't believe this! They were making fools of themselves _and_ me! However, thankfully, Rina was the only one with any common sense and she stepped in front of Hanon and Lucia.

"We all came separately." She quickly explained, trying to patch up what Lucia and Hanon had done.

She then pushed the two away from Subaru and I very quickly and I felt very thankful to have her around. She may be the youngest of all the mermaid princesses but, damn, she was smart and mature. You'd never guess that she was younger than both Hanon and Lucia.

Still somewhat embarrassed by my friends' behavior, I turned to Subaru with a sheepish smile. "S-sorry, Subaru. W-well then, I'm going to go after them."

"Caren," he called out to me, causing me to stop and look back at him. He smiled at me before continuing. "I'll see you later then."

I smiled back at him, my eyes shining. "Y-yeah."

I then turned to go running after Lucia, Hanon and Rina. They didn't go too far which I found to be a very good thing. When I approached them, Hanon and Lucia were smiling, knowing that they were probably in trouble with me. I stopped when I reached them and I put my hands on my hips.

"Now hold on a sec, you guys." I said sternly, thinking about everything that the three had to be careful of. "What if Subaru will get suspicious about our whereabouts?"

"I think we're okay for now, Caren." Rina stated calmly, trying to get me to calm down, obviously. The need for it wasn't necessary when Hanon asked me a question.

"Anyways, Caren, do you like Subaru?" She asked, her face lighting up.

I was quite taken aback by this. A look of sheer surprise crossed my face and I desperately searched my mind for something to say whether it would be an answer or not.

"Wha… what are you saying all of a sudden? That's not the case right now!" I blurted out, my mind reeling. Then, I thought of an excuse. "I'm a mermaid princess! I'm not supposed to feel that way!"

Judging by Hanon's face, I knew what she wanted to say to me. She would say 'But that doesn't mean that you can't have feelings for him.' I was suddenly feeling as if I had been pushed into a corner and had no escape from this conversation. Well, I should have been expecting it. That's why I was bothering Rina earlier.

"Then what do you think of Subaru?" Lucia asked me quickly.

"What I think?" I repeated while glancing at Lucia. And then I did think about what I thought of Subaru. A small smile crossed my face as I answered. "Well, he's a really nice person, the sweetest human I've ever met. He's kind and gentle and… I always seem to think about him."

"So, basically, you like him?" Hanon asked excitedly.

I felt a wave of shyness wash over me as Hanon said that. Did I like Subaru? I had considered him as a really good friend in the time that I'd known him. I always thought that I was madly in love with Mathias. Yet, now, I wasn't so sure.

"I… I don't know about that…" I stuttered. "Maybe…"

The three of them smiled at me then and I presumed that they assumed that I liked him. I didn't know where the conversation was going to go after that. However, the ice decided that our current conversation would go nowhere. The earth rocked violently back and forth and I heard the ice crack and scrape against itself. Then, I heard the ice being ripped apart, a massive crack tearing itself open and racing toward me, Lucia, Hanon and Rina. Rina, Hanon and I were able to get out of the path of the crack's way but Lucia—oh, Lucia!—she wasn't quick enough and she let out a terror stricken scream as she plummeted down, down, down into oblivion. I screamed out her name, leaning over the side of that crack as if there was someway that I could extend my arms and catch her.

Hanon was extremely distressed about this new situation. "Rina, what should we do? Lucia is… Lucia is…!"

"Calm down, Hanon." Rina told her before turning to me. "Caren, we need to swim and find her."

"Got it." I replied before getting up to my feet.

I scanned the area for the ocean and I began running towards it once I found it. Rina and Hanon were right behind me the whole way. I wanted so desperately to find Lucia that it bothered me that I had to keep a human pace. This was absolute torture! Lucia could have been hurt! My thoughts of worry clouded my mind and I was wrapped up in them until I made it to the ocean. I instantly leapt into the cold water, looking around furiously once I was completely submerged. Hanon and Rina were soon in the water as well and the three of us began to search. We searched and we searched but we could find no trace of Lucia.

At one point, I swam away from Hanon and Rina to go off looking on my own. I searched for what seemed like hours and I felt even more distressed when I couldn't find Lucia. I was half vampire! I was fast enough to search ten different areas while, in that time, Hanon and Rina may have only been able to search one. I felt absolutely helpless as I made my way back to Hanon and Rina.

"Any sign of her yet?" I asked them once I reached them.

"It's no use." Hanon said sadly.

"Nothing is over here either." Hippo informed as he and my penguin swam over.

I had almost forgotten that Hippo was there. I had been so preoccupied with Lucia, Hanon, Rina, and Subaru that I hardly took notice to him. However, his presence didn't matter to me at the moment. He hadn't been able to find Lucia. He had no importance.

"It's my fault that this happened to Lucia." I admitted, wanting the blame of this to go completely on me. Tears were beginning to fill my eyes at the hopelessness of the situation. "If Lucia… if Lucia hadn't come here, I—"

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound and I felt my left cheek begin to sting. My eyes were wide with fright and I slightly turned my head to see Rina. She had slapped me. She had _slapped_ me! I was shocked.

"Caren, Lucia is definitely alright." She told me. "What would happen if we stopped believing in that?"

"Being Mermaid Princesses isn't our only connection." Hanon explained to me. "I wouldn't know how life would be without Lucia!"

"Rina… Hanon…" I looked at them for a moment before I turned my attention towards my penguin. "Gather all the ocean beings! We could use help from everyone."

All of us continued to search and I had contemplated going off on my own again. If my penguin was going to round up my attendants back at my palace, I wouldn't want to be seen. I didn't want them to interfere in the life I was trying to build up for myself. I knew how in Sara's kingdom, it was one of her servants who drove the nail into the coffin of her relationship. I wouldn't let them interfere with Subaru and I. Wait… Subaru and I? I was considering us to be in a relationship?

My thoughts were interrupted as the water vibrated around us. It was tingling off of all my senses and I knew that this was the worst tremor yet. There was a huge jump in how violent the tremors had been and what it was now.

"The ice is shifting again!" Rina exclaimed.

"And it's very serious this time, too!" I added on.

I think we all knew what was happening up on the land. There was something that had gone horribly wrong and we needed to fix it. However, it wouldn't be wise to do in a human form. So, the three of us swam to the surface and transformed into our idol forms. Once back on land, we ran inland in hopes of figuring out what was going on.

After a moment of running, Subaru came into view. My eyes widened in shock. He wasn't safe here! He needed to get away! However, he just stood there and didn't say anything. His eyes looked like they were clouded over. It was a look that I recalled Mathias had whenever he was zoned out—a lifeless look. However, that was normal for a vampire since he was already dead but… Subaru was alive and well and was not a vampire.

"Subaru, what are you doing here?" I demanded quickly, hoping that he would respond.

To my shock and dismay, Sheshe and Mimi appeared at his side, clinging to him as if he was some sort of 'boy toy'. That made me angry. No, scratch that. I wasn't angry. I was infuriated! How _dare_ they?! I wanted nothing more than to tear them limb from limb! The only thing stopping me was the fact that Rina and Hanon were standing right there and my actions would more than likely leave them absolutely mortified.

"What did you _do_ to him?" I yelled, practically shrieking with my rage.

"Can't you see for yourself?" Sheshe asked me.

That right there almost set me off to follow through with my original plan. However, when Subaru came forward to attack me in a trance-like state, I found myself paralyzed by him. I found myself completely surprised by his actions. I tried to hold his arms back so that he wouldn't attack me although I knew that he could never possibly hurt me.

"Subaru, stop!" I cried out, hoping to somehow get through to him.

Mimi laughed. "Whatever you say to him, it won't work.

"He's decided to be on our side now." Sheshe informed.

Oh, how I hated their voices! I wanted to tear out their vocal chords! Then again, that was also something that would lead to the snow being drenched in blood. I would have to find a different way to hurt them. But what about Subaru? How was I supposed to help him? I felt at a loss. Then, I heard Subaru gasp in pain and fall into my arms. I held him close to me and glanced over at Rina who had just punched him.

"Caren, whatever they say, it's not true." She stated.

Sheshe and Mimi didn't seem affected by Rina's actions. Sheshe was the next to speak. "You can't defeat us now; you won't be able to stop it."

"Besides, there's no time left." Mimi added on.

I hated them. I _hated_ them! I wanted to kill them in the most ruthless of ways! How _dare_ they do this in _my_ kingdom?! That was the last straw; I was going to destroy them. I moved to lay Subaru on the ground but Rina stepped in front of me and told me to get him away. For a moment, I was able to think with clarity. She was right. I had to get Subaru away.

I quickly took Subaru into my arms and I carried him away at a fast speed. I found a place that seemed safe enough and I gently lowered Subaru onto the ground. He groaned in pain and I softly 'shhh'ed him.

"Everything's fine Subaru. Everything is going to be alright." I whispered to him gently.

His blue eyes flickered open to look at me and he forced a weak smile. He softly murmured my name. "Caren…?"

I smiled at him and softly stroked his fluffy blonde hair. "Yes, I'm here. It's alright."

A look of confusion washed over his face. "What… happened?"

"We found the reason why the ice is melting so drastically." I explained quietly. "We're fixing it right now. But, I think that, right now, you need to rest."

He nodded as if mesmerized by me and he slowly closed his eyes. I smiled at him and then, I was distracted by something. I heard singing. I heard Hanon and Rina singing off in the distance but, I also heard Lucia. And not just them. I heard Coco and I even heard Noel! They were all singing to help Subaru and I.

"Everyone…" I murmured quietly.

It was then that I decided to sing along with them. I closed my eyes and allowed my voice to rise in an attempt to help everyone else. I became lost in the song, completely unaware of the blue eyes that flickered open to watch me sing. I filled my voice with all of the emotions I felt in my entire life. All the emotions I felt when I met Mathias, when he left me, when I saved my sister, when I met Subaru, and that moment Subaru and I had shared last night. I would not allow this to be destroyed by some demons from the sea.

Soon, the song had ended and it seemed as if we had won. Yes, we won; we had always won. I truly hoped that it would stay that way. When I put my attention back to Subaru, I only just noticed that his heart was slowing to a sleeping pace. He had been awake the whole time I was singing and he was only falling asleep now. I realized that I would have to fabricate a good story to cover up what he probably figured out about me.

Once I knew that he was fast asleep, I picked him up in my arms and shifted him so that I was carrying him on my back. I then headed in the direction of Hanon and Rina. Once I had reached them, we discovered that Lucia had returned and was standing a short distance away from us. We all headed over to her, calling out her name. Once she noticed us, she ran over to us with a smile on her face.

"We did it!" She exclaimed.

Once that fact had settled in, Hanon and Rina also made comments about how we did such a good job with everything and how things were going to settle down in Antarctica. I wasn't so sure about that.

"You realize that we're going to have to sort things out with Subaru now." I stated quietly, interrupting their cheerful reunion.

They looked at me with smiles on their faces. Lucia stepped forward. "Caren, we'll stay here as long as you need us to. We're here to support you."

I smiled at her and I felt happy. "Thank you Lucia, Hanon, Rina. That means so much to me."

The three of them smiled back at me. Rina stepped forward this time to voice on of her worries. "Is there anywhere that we should bring Subaru?"

I glanced back at Subaru's sleeping face and I turned back to look at Rina. "Yeah, follow me."

So, I led the three of them back to the 'house on wheels'. I wasn't quite sure how things would be when Subaru awoke or if he would give the story I was fabricating in my mind a chance. Either way, I was hoping that things would turn out alright now. I just had to wait and see.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

It had almost been a week since us Mermaid Princesses saved the Antarctic. Lucia, Hanon and Rina had been staying with Subaru and I for that time just to make sure that everything was still okay. Things had settled down quite nicely.

When Subaru had awoken, he definitely had some things to say about the previous events. He had noted the change of my hair colour and my eye colour as well as my different (and much colder) attire. He also heard me singing. However, I informed him that when there was a tremor, he had fallen and had hit his head pretty hard on the ice and that he must have been thinking about our past conversations about Mermaid Princesses and vampires. Thankfully, he believed it.

However, the fact that the Antarctic was back to normal meant that Subaru would have to leave. He had sent word to his superiors that everything was fine now and that his work in Antarctica was done. Now, a ship was coming to pick him up and take him away from me. He would leave just like Mathias had and I would be all alone again.

So, I now stood facing Subaru with a forced smile on my face and a boat off in the ocean heading for shore. Subaru was smiling at me as well but I could see the sadness in his eyes. He extended his arm out to push my bangs behind my ear as he looked at me.

"You know," he started, "sometimes I wish that there were still strange things going on around here. Then I could stay here. But, I'm sure we'll see each other again, right Caren?"

"Yes." I replied, a sad tone seeping into my voice. "I'm sure of it."

Subaru cocked his head to the side. "You don't look so sure of it."

I tried to keep my neutral expression but it was faltering. "But you said that you were being sent somewhere else after this. You don't even know where it is that you're going so, how would I be supposed to find you?"

"Hmm…" Subaru paused to think for a moment. "Well… you're a vampire. I'm sure you'd be able to track me down."

A smile crossed Subaru's face then and I smiled to, my head lowering at our inside joke. That was the first time _he_ had referred to me as a vampire. He still didn't even know how right he was about it. I was going to say something else to him but, as my mouth opened, my voice was drowned out by the loud horn of the ship.

"That blasted horn!" I yelled out in disgust.

Subaru laughed at my reaction. "I know, eh? I don't want to leave yet! But, if I must, there's something I want to do first…"

As Subaru trailed off, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on my lips. I flung my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, wanting to savour every moment of his presence. Unfortunately, Subaru had to pull away from me and make his way to the ship. I watched him go in silence, trying to think of some reason why he should just stay here. Then, it hit me. I ran towards Subaru just as he was boarding the ship and I was able to reach him in the nick of time.

"Hey! Suppose more strange occurrences were to happen around here like… if mermaids began to appear around here. Would that be a reason for you to return someday?" I asked, trying to put this new plan of mine in motion.

Subaru laughed at this and embraced me one last time. "If that's a reason for me to return then I would truly wish that you were a Mermaid Princess."

This was what I wanted to hear him say. I could follow through with my plan. A few humans who were on the ship came to us and said that they had to leave very soon and that we should be quick. So, Subaru kissed my forehead and looked deeply into my eyes one last time.

"So, I'll see you around, then?" He asked.

"You will." I promised; no second thoughts in my mind this time.

So, I stood back and watched as the ship carried Subaru away from me. I knew that Subaru and I could never really be together. There were so many ways that a relationship with us could be twisted around. First, I was a Mermaid Princess. Secondly, I had been turned into a vampire which meant that I would be doomed to live forever when he would die. And, thirdly, I already had Mathias who was in love with me—that is, if he ever decided to come back to me. I knew that tears were filling in my eyes but, I refused to let them fall. Somehow, I felt as if my love for Mathias was gone—like it was a mere infatuation. The truth was, I was in love with Subaru. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I wanted to be with Subaru for all the time that _he_ had. But, after this, I would probably never see him again.

"Caren?" Rina called out softly from behind me.

"Is it really okay this way?" Hanon asked me quietly.

Lucia stepped forward. "Subaru loves you too, you know."

Without turning to look at them, I gave them a reply. "It's okay. Subaru and I are a human and mermaid after all. Even if we meet a second time it's just…"

I paused for a moment and then turned to face them, a forced smile on my face. "That's why… it's okay this way."

I felt my tears threaten to fall so I quickly wiped them away from my eyes. I turned to look back at the ship Subaru was on. I wondered how fast I would have to swim in order to catch up to it. I had to go through with my plan. Rina walked up beside me to watch the ship as well.

"So, what are you planning on doing now, Caren?"

"Right now?" I repeated. I turned to look at her. "Right now, I'm going to tell you and Lucia and Hanon to go home because you've already taken too much time off of school to help deal with my problems and then I'm going to go see how fast I can swim."

Rina smiled and then pushed me forward. "Then go catch that ship. I'll make sure that Lucia and Hanon get home safely.

I smiled at her and then I took off for the ocean. Before I jumped into the water, I turned back to wave goodbye to Lucia, Hanon and Rina. "I'll see you all sometime later! Don't get into too much trouble while I'm away!"

The last thing I remember before jumping into the water was seeing the three wave back at me with bright, hopeful smiles on their faces. But now, I had a new priority. I would tell Subaru that I was actually a Mermaid Princess—or rather, I'd make him assume that it was me.

I swam as fast as I possibly could through the frigid waters in order to get to the boat. I had to get there, I _had_ to. I pushed myself to go faster and faster. Slowly, that ship seemed closer to me than it had been before. It was almost relieving, in a way. I was gaining on it. I would be able to see Subaru at least once more.

I allowed myself to surface and I saw just how close I was to the ship. Feeling hope, I swam faster and I made an attempt at passing the large ship. I needed to get just a little farther ahead. I pushed myself to reach my goal and, eventually, I was ahead of the ship. Then, I scanned the area to find an iceberg floating a fair distance away. I swam over to it and pulled myself up to sit on it. I looked to see the ship passing by me but, I didn't see anyone up on the deck. I felt discouraged but, I still had to sing. I had to try. So, I let my voice ring out over the waters in the hopes that it might reach Subaru.

"_I'm so happy about today's morning sun that my tears begin to fall without even thinking about them… Have I seen this somewhere before, I wonder? Shining continually bright under the same sky… My dream now is still but a dream…My dream __now is still but a dream…Let me stay together with you now… but I'll believe in our place… Will my wish riding on the wind of the aurora reach you? I'm sure it'll make it there, because I definitely want to see you again… Even if our two lives are beneath a star-crossed sky… Our hearts are one and we both embrace the same wish to see each other."_

I kept watching the deck as I sang, hoping—_praying_ that Subaru would come to me. As the ship kept passing me by, I was feeling discouraged. He wasn't going to come… No! I couldn't think that way! He just had to come! It couldn't end this way! I wouldn't let it! My voice grew louder and more desperate as I sang as I longed for him to come.

"_I wonder why we both have to follow our own different fates… I've lost the broken map of time and have only just begun my true voyage… I've lost my way, and I've cried but let me just raise my voice higher so I can cheer up! My faith is surely sleeping within the glittering sea… When you can hear a love song playing on a purple wind on the night of a full moon… I'm sure both of our hearts will sing together."_

My hope was dying when I still didn't see Subaru. The ship had almost passed by me. Then, I heard the click of a door opening on deck. My hopes shot up again and I filled my voice with all of my feelings. I truly hoped that it was Subaru. I heard footsteps running to the railings and… it wasn't Subaru. Another man stood there gaping at me and I felt heartbroken. I almost didn't want to sing anymore. Then, the man ran from the railing and I heard the door open on deck once more.

"Subaru, come here! You've _got_ to see this!" He yelled.

That single phrase that the man said made my heart soar with joy. Suddenly, I was glad that he'd come out on deck and had noticed me. If he hadn't, Subaru wouldn't know I was out here. And then, I heard footsteps on deck again. I looked up at the deck hopefully and then he was there, looking at me in complete awe. A smile spread across my face and tears fell down my cheeks as I sang for him.

"_Even if it's a little emotional movement, these will still be our special feelings! My dream now is still but a dream but I'll believe in our place… Will my wish riding on the wind of the aurora reach you? I'm sure it'll make it there, because I definitely want to see you again… Even if our two lives are beneath a star-crossed sky our hearts are one and we both embrace the same wish to see each other."_

I stopped singing then and just smiled at him. He was still looking at me with a look of awe but a smile was on his face as well. Then, I got the impulse to tell him something that I desperately wanted to tell him.

"Subaru," I called out. "I love you!"

"I knew I wasn't hallucinating! You _are_ a Mermaid Princess, aren't you?" He replied a wide grin spread across his face. "I will see you again, Caren! I'll see you again because I love you too!"

For a moment, I thought my heart was beating again. Subaru loved me. Subaru _loved_ me! Bittersweet tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks as I raised my arm to wave to him as the ship moved away from me. I would see him again. I knew I would. And I would try and figure this whole thing out so that I could be with Subaru. This was what I wanted. This is what I _needed_. I needed Subaru. And, one way or another, I would have him.


	3. Unexpected Faces

'Ello loverlies! Back for more, eh? Well, I figured that I'd get this posted now since it's 'Snow-mageddon' outside and I'm trapped inside my house. Things around going to get very interesting now so, you'll want to pay attention to all the little details in this part. The last and final part of this story will be posted on **Monday December 22nd**. Enjoy!

**Divine Expectations**  
Unexpected Faces  
_Written by: Jazlynn_

It all seemed like so long ago. It seemed like years since I had been left by Subaru and it seemed like centuries had past since Mathias had abandoned me. Yes, abandoned seemed like an appropriate word. He had not returned to me after almost three months had passed! Three months! Whatever Mathias was doing, it was taking far too long. However, I wasn't sure why I was thinking about Mathias. He tore a large hole in my non-beating heart. Then Subaru came. He was able to patch that hole for me and I felt… happy. It wasn't like the feelings I had when I was with Mathias. Yes, there was something between Mathias and I but… for some reason, this feeling that came to be between Subaru and I… it felt pure. It was love.

The thoughts seemed foreign to me as they ran through my mind. My golden eyes were stuck on the vast dark sky as the stars twinkled like diamonds. The white snow glistened around me as I tried to sort through the thoughts in my head. I would have to return to my palace soon—the dawn would soon approach and the sun would rise. I thought of Subaru with his sparkling blue eyes and golden hair when I thought of the sun. I then thought of Mathias with his elusive golden eyes and dark brown hair that framed his pale face in all of his godly perfection when I gazed back up at the moon. My night and my day. I must've been the earth—forever to be shrouded in night and then day. But now, there was nothing. There was no sun and no moon.

A tear streamed down my face as the thoughts continued to run through my mind. I needed to distract myself from my thoughts. It was taking too large of a toll on my mind. I recalled my sister's proposition of going on vacation. I think it was time to take her up on that. Besides, I wanted the comfort of my sister's presence. This would be good for me. It would give me the chance to get both Subaru and Mathias off of my mind.

I sat up and pushed myself up off the mound of snow that I had been laying in moments before. I looked down at my snow covered clothes and quickly brushed the fluffy substance off. I was only wearing a pair of jeans, a lavender spaghetti strap shirt and a black sweater with the silver zipper only pulled up halfway. A freezing wind blew past me and I didn't even shiver. My body was dead and such things like temperature ceased to bother me. I wouldn't burden myself with wearing a huge winter coat when it wasn't necessary.

As I walked towards the ocean, I recalled Subaru's departure. I didn't know how I would go on without seeing his smile everyday. It was a hard fact for me to accept but... I had fallen in love with him. I was madly in love with him, just as I was still in love with Mathias. That thought hurt. It hurt a lot. The two loves of my life were far from me and there was nothing I could do about it. However, I was pretty much over Mathias. The only images that were floating around in my mind were images of Subaru with his fluffy blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was a human and was one of the most beautiful creatures I had ever laid my eyes upon.

Hard as it was, I pushed the thoughts of Subaru out of my head as I reached the ocean. Chances were that I would never see him again even though I wanted to. He went to further his studies somewhere else and I didn't know where that was. So, both my sun and moon were missing and I had no idea where to find them. I only had the ramblings of an old woman to lead me to my moon and there was simply no trace of my sun.

I dove into the ocean and then headed towards my palace as fast as I could. Small rays of sunlight were beginning to shine through the Antarctic waters and they danced gracefully on my pale skin. My violet eyes flickered around as I swam, as if in paranoia—a bad habit that I had picked up a long time ago. I just wanted to get to the Arctic Ocean. I really wanted to see my sister again. Besides, it wasn't like she was trapped in Gaito's castle anymore and would be hard to find.

As my palace came into view, the only thought in my head was telling them that I was going to the Arctic to spend some time with my sister. My servants would be satisfied with that answer, right? They wanted me to go out and be active. I would simply do what they wanted. I would go out and do something that wasn't solitary.

I made my way into my palace through the front entrance with a confident and pleasant look on my face. Some of the mermaids that were lingering in the main hall looked to me with shock. Yes, my actions would most likely take them by surprise. In all my time back in the Antarctic Ocean, I had only once used the main entrance. That could be considered something taking into account all the times I had left my palace to go dwell upon the land after Subaru had left. The confused mermaids slowly approached me as if something was amiss.

"Lady Caren, are you well?" One of them asked.

"Oh, yes, this is very unusual of you." Another piped in.

I gave each of them an odd look. A memory stirred in my mind. The frightening images of deceased mermaid came back into my mind and my expression slightly faltered. No! I would not think that way! These were my attendants and they were very much alive. I allowed that façade of confidence return to my expression.

"Of course I'm well. Besides, one should not question the purple mermaid princess's actions."

Oh. For a moment there, I thought I was Mathias. That would be something that he would say, not me. Once again, I pushed the thoughts of Mathias out of my head. I didn't need to be thinking about him. He was a jerk who had left me three months ago. However, he was very impressionable. I knew that anyone who lived with him for too long would pick up on his habits and begin to act the way that he does.

"Lady Caren?"

My attention was dragged towards a mermaid who had just entered the main hall. Her voice was familiar: meek and respective. It was the mermaid who had convinced me to go out that first night. I recognized her now. When I thought about it, even though I had returned to my palace a few times after Subaru had left, the last time I saw this mermaid was on that night. She was swimming towards me, her eyes showing that she needed to tell me something.

"What is it?" I asked, allowing for her to speak.

She stopped in front of me, her eyes seeming unsure about something. "Well, you see, in your absence, a man came to the castle to look for you. He seemed very on edge about something."

My eyes widened in shock. A man came here looking for me. My stomach twisted in an unpleasant way as my mind put two and two together. _Mathias had been here_. That was the only explanation! He'd been here while I was off with Subaru! He was here! I took hold of the young mermaid by the shoulders and she looked quite surprised by my eagerness.

"When was he here? Did he say what his name was? Did he say when he'd be back? Is he coming back?"

The girl was completely shocked as I bombarded her with questions. I could tell that she was trying to come up with the answers as fast as she could but… I had very little patience. I feared that I would go mad if I did not know about Mathias. I knew that there was no chance of getting my sun back but… perhaps I could get my night. There was a chance—however small it was.

"Please, Lady Caren, I need a moment to think!" The girl said while trying to pull away from me. I let go and she took in a deep breath.

"You see, he came here the day after you left for the surface. He came here demanding where you were. He said that you had called out to him and he needed to find you immediately. I told him that you were out and that I didn't know when you would be back. He seemed very… troubled. It was frightening to see a man look so on edge about something. By the way he acted; it was as if your very life was on the line."

I took in all that my servant had told me. Mathias had heard me call out to him. My voice not only reached Subaru, but Mathias as well. Did that mean that my sister was all panicked about what had happened to me? She couldn't just up and leave her country to check on me either. I breathed in deeply acknowledging what I had to do.

"I must visit my sister in the Arctic Ocean. I have to speak with her immediately. Please, keep things in order around here until I get back."

I turned to leave but one of my servants had to question me. "When will you be back, Lady Caren?"

I turned to look at her, uncertainty in my eyes. "I really don't know. I might be gone for a few weeks. Before, my sister wanted me to go to Paris and Germany with her. I don't know if she'll want to take that trip when I'm there or at another time."

"Very well," the servant replied. "We shall keep things running smoothly here."

I nodded in her direction and I swam off towards my room. There was just one more thing that I needed before I left: the journal. I hadn't been reading it much, lately. However, I still found that it was vital to me, somehow. I wasn't going to leave it behind now. There was still so much more to read in it.

I quickly entered my room to find the journal lying on my bed where I had last left it. I took the book into my arms and swam outside from my balcony. I breathed in deeply as I headed in a northern direction. I glanced back as my palace became smaller and smaller in the distance. I turned my gaze away from my palace. There was nothing left for me in Antarctica. There was only a broken heart and a shattered dream. I didn't want to have to return there. Not right now.

I kept on swimming forward, resting whenever I needed to. More often then not, those stops would be to read a little bit more from the journal. Something that I had read caught my interest and made me want to read more from the journal. The mermaid princess's lover had introduced her to his cousin, Felix. Now, I suppose that there was no connection between this Felix and the Felix that Subaru was talking about but… it brought a smile to my face.

I assumed that I was on the border of Hanon and Rina's countries when I stopped to read from the journal once again. The happy mood that this mermaid princess's life had had was slowly beginning to decline. I found myself worrying about what had happened to her. I flipped through the pages until I found the next entry I needed to read.

_November 1, 999_

_My love has not been well as of late. He has tried to distance himself from me. I do not understand the reason why. I have tried to contact him but he ceases to give me any reply. I worry for him._

_There have been some things I've noticed that might have contributed to this. I've noticed that he's become rather weary and not as strong as he once was. Whenever he was around me, he would often get quite dizzy. Perhaps he has become ill, though, I hope that should not be the case. Most people who become ill do not become better. I only pray that he has not come down with the plague. I'd rather have him killed quickly than to suffer through plague._

_Well, as much I would not like to put down this pen, I must as my love's mother is quickly approaching me now. I do not know what she wishes to say to me for she has never come to me before of her own free will. I suppose I shall know in due time what the matter is._

"Well, well, if it isn't the mermaid princess of the Antarctic Ocean."

My eyes stayed focused on the page, not aware of one of those sickeningly familiar voices. I wanted to read more. I wanted to know what the mermaid princess's future mother-in-law wanted to say to her. I moved my hand to flip the page when the second voice managed to pull me away from the journal.

"I wonder what's written in that book, Sister Sheshe. She seems awfully intrigued by it."

My eyes slowly lifted from the pages of the journal to the Black Beauty Sisters who had come in my way. I held the journal close to me as if my life depended on it. The funny thing was that I _did _feel as if my life depended on this journal. It was a strange intuition, yes, but the one thing that I knew for sure was that I would not let the Black Beauty Sisters get their hands on it.

"I think that there's something in that book that she's hiding from us, Sister Mimi." Sheshe accused with a dangerous look in her eyes.

I quickly looked around for the younger water demon to find that she was nowhere to be seen. I felt something forcefully push against my back and I felt my grasp on the journal loosen. I watched in horror as Mimi seized the book from my arms. I pushed myself forward to go after the book and I felt myself crash into something. A glowing light had surrounded me and I was aware of the horrible predicament I was in. I heard both of the sisters laughing. I glared at them from my prison.

"Oh! Won't Michel be so pleased with us?" Mimi chimed happily.

"Oh, yes. And we now also have this pretty little book." Sheshe added in while taking the journal from Mimi. "Now, let's see what it was you were hiding, Purple Mermaid Princess."

I watched in horror as the sisters opened the journal. They would read the life of one of my predecessors! I felt as if they were completely invading her privacy! I was more obligated to read her words than they were! I was, after all, one of her successors! However, I felt confused as I watched the confused expressions on the faces of the Black Beauty Sisters.

"What is this?" Sheshe asked, seeming quite disgusted.

Mimi took the book from her sister and began to recite what was written on the first page. "'I am truly sorry but, the words that I had written in this journal were strictly meant to be seen by my successor, Caren, in the year 2003. However, since you _disgusting creatures _wish to know what I have written in this book, I shall give you a sneak peak of what Caren was about to read. She needs to know the truth of the things which occurred at this time. And as for you, you will become aware of a secret; a secret that will give you nightmares for the rest of your days among the living—nightmares that Caren would have to face had she not become what I had been destined to become before her. And now, I invite you to witness the events that took place on November 1st of the year 999.'"

My eyes were wide with shock at each word that Mimi had said. That was not what was written on the first page of the journal. _I_ had never been _personally_ addressed in the journal. I felt as if I was dreaming. This couldn't have been right. Words written in ink could not be changed on the paper it had been written. People who were living in the year 2003 could not be mentioned in the year 999.

I watched Sheshe and Mimi shriek as the journal emitted a bright lavender colour from its pages. All of us were engulfed in its light; unable to see what was happening. When the light faded, we were no longer in the ocean. We were all in human-like forms in what seemed like a castle. I felt panicked by the fact that I wasn't in my mermaid form when around the Black Beauty Sisters. They would know exactly who I was and I would become an easy target for them. However, when I glanced at my appearance, I was shocked. I hardly looked like myself at all!

My hair was completely straight aside from a few curls that fell loosely at the sides of my face and it was a shade of purple that was almost comparable to black. I was also dressed in attire that was not near what I would normally wear. I was dressed in long flowing lavender robes made from velvet and silk. This dress seemed more medieval than the one I had worn on the night I had been turned vampire. Looking back at Sheshe and Mimi, they were dressed in similar clothes only in red and blue. They were both looking at me as if I knew what was going on. The only problem was that I _didn't_ know what was going on. The two had interrupted me before I had gotten the chance to read what was going to happen next.

The sound of rushed voices alerted me and the Black Beauty Sisters that there were people quickly approaching. When that group of people came rushing into the hallway that we were standing in, I was sure that they would have said something. However, they kept up their pace and headed right for us as if we weren't even there. I cringed when I figured that they would run right into us but, I was quite mistaken. They didn't run into us, they ran _through_ us. Sheshe and Mimi seemed quite shocked at the phenomenon that had just occurred. They demanded that I give them an explanation as to what had just happened but, I stayed quiet, watching the people that hurried down the hall.

They were heading for a door at the end of the stone hallway with torches in their hands to light the way. When they opened that door, I heard more voices. Two of the voices sounded like they were arguing about something but, the third voice… I knew exactly whose voice that was. It sounded pained and tortured but, I knew the voice. It was that voice that would forever be engraved within my memory.

"_I guess that means… I'm 'it'."_

"_I am having a party tonight and you happen to be the guest of honor."_

"_Let us play a _game_, Caren."_

"_Once upon a time, you found me. Now it is time for you to hide and for me to seek."_

"_Caren, where are you?"_

"_I've seen the blood pulsing through your veins and I want to see if you taste better than you smell."_

"_Tell me what you want more than anything in the world. Give me the pleasure of taking it away from you."_

"_You only have to suffer through death once and then you can live forever by my side."_

"Mathias…" I softly whispered in a pained tone of voice.

I moved forward, heading towards that door, completely ignoring the looks that the Black Beauty Sisters were giving me. I didn't care what they thought at the moment. Mathias was here and he was in pain. I had to go to him! I felt my pace quicken and I heard the Black Beauty Sisters quickly following me. I entered that room like a ghost. No one saw me but they all tensed as if they felt my presence.

My eyes were drawn to a large bed where Mathias was tossing and turning in. However, he wasn't at all like I remembered him. His hair was a lighter brown and his skin wasn't the pale colour of a vampire's. The two big things that I noticed were that his eyes were a light blue and he had a heartbeat. He was _human_.

"What is going on, Mermaid Princess?"

I glanced back to find that Sheshe and Mimi looked quite upset that I had wandered off. All of a sudden, I didn't want them here. I didn't want them to see my love in the state he was in. I didn't want them to see him at all. I turned away from them and rushed over to Mathias' side. I placed my hand on his forehead and I could feel the immense heat radiating off of him. His blue eyes snapped open and he was looking right at me. He could see me. I knew that he could. He was looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Angel…" he gently murmured through a broken voice. "Angel, make the pain go away…"

Mathias was reaching out to me now as if I could somehow relieve him of his pain. I wanted to. I wanted to help him so badly. However, I knew that I could not. Mathias' father had to save his life. That was how things had happened, I was sure. I could hear a commotion starting all around me. Everyone was going on about Mathias's condition but not me or the Black Beauty Sisters. Mathias was the only one who could see me.

"_I want everyone out now!"_ A male voice demanded.

I became aware that everyone was leaving the room aside from the man who made the order and a woman whom I hadn't noticed before. The Black Beauty Sisters moved to a corner so that they were out of the way but could still see what I was up to. That man though, he looked so familiar. I couldn't figure out where I'd seen him though.

"_No! I won't let you harm him!"_

I looked over at the woman who was now looking very overprotective of Mathias. She looked very much like Mathias, now that I thought about it. Then a thought occurred to me. This was his mother. This was his mother and she seemed to know that if left alone, Mathias would surely die.

"_Lucretia, you know that he will die if I do not turn him!" _

My eyes were drawn back over to the man who had ordered everyone out of the room in the first place and I finally realized something about him: he was a vampire. His eyes lingered on me before they fell back upon his wife.

"_I will not have any part of the devil lingering within my son!" _She cried out_. "God will answer my prayers and save my child!"_

"_God?! What has God ever done for our family? He has yet to bless us with anything!"_

I cringed. I didn't like where this argument was heading. I wasn't quite sure about what I believed in. Most of the time, the marine world secludes itself from human religions. I glanced over at Sheshe and Mimi to see how they were reacting. They were being quiet, also seeming uncomfortable with the topic of argument.

"_Well, I have not yet given up on my faith. God will be merciful and spare my boy."_

I didn't want to see the expression on the vampire's face. I knew that he would be infuriated and I could already feel the rage he emitted in the room. I focused my eyes on Mathias who kept on looking at me. I softly stroked his hot face and I could see the relief in his eyes. I felt kind of happy that I could see what he looked like as a human. He still looked perfect to me. I smiled softly at him before his father bellowed out an angry reply.

"_I can easily save his life and you choose to put your belief in a corrupt faith? If that be the case, then you've condemned our boy to the afterlife, you wretched witch!"_

I heard Mathias' mother begin to cry as her husband stormed out of the room. I felt so helpless in that moment. I wanted to console both Mathias and his mother. I wanted to shield them from the evil in their family. However, there was nothing I could do. A voice took me from my thoughts and both Mathias and my eyes flashed over to Mimi. He could see the sisters as well.

"What is going on mermaid princess?" She asked in a low frightened tone.

"Who was it that wrote the journal that brought us here?" Sheshe demanded as well.

I breathed in deeply, continuing to softly stroke Mathias' face. I turned to look at them as a bunch of new knowledge flowed into my mind like a river. Knowledge that I was sure I didn't possess before. "The owner of that journal was one of my predecessors from 1000 years ago. She was in love with the man that I am in love with now. However, she was brutally killed by the man you just saw who, I know, will hunt you down and kill you if you ever spread word of this. My predecessor is going to send you back now. I only request that I can stay a little while longer."

_Then it is done._

That same violet light enveloped the Black Beauty Sisters and they faded away from sight. I was overcome by a feeling of reassurance that they would not speak a word about what they saw. I knew that their minds would, however, be plagued by it. They would certainly have nightmares when they slept, I was sure. I looked back down at Mathias who seemed to have witnessed the event as well.

"Angel, where have the other two gone?" He asked, seeming frightened.

I looked into his big blue eyes and softly placed a kiss on his forehead. "They went home, love. I shall stay with you, tonight."

He seemed calmed by my words and I smiled. I was in complete awe looking down at the human Mathias. One could easily assume that he was either eighteen or nineteen but, when I thought of the Mathias from my time, I imagined him to be a lot older and more mature and even… dangerous—just like his father. Right now, he seemed a lot more like his mother, Lucretia, who had fallen asleep by his side.

I crawled onto his bed and cuddled up beside Mathias, wrapping my cold arms around him to help ease his fever. I wanted to stay like this forever. I wanted to stay beside Mathias and forever have him near me. This was what I had wanted for such a long time now.

_Don't get to comfortable._

BAM! The oak door swung open and Mathias's vampire father entered the room. His eyes were glowing red and I was suddenly filled with fear. Lucretia had woken from the noise and she screamed upon her husband's demeanor. Mathias tried to cling to me, completely frightened by his father. I could hear both his and his mother's hearts beating quickly as the predator closed the door behind him.

Lucretia flung herself onto Mathias' bed and stayed in front of him the entire time. I also clung to Mathias as if to protect him. I glared at the vampire, knowing from his earlier glance that he could see me as well. However, he paid me no attention and he grabbed his wife by her hair and pulled her off the bed.

"_I _will_ save our son and there is _nothing_ you can do about it. If you believe that God is the only one who can save him then I _am_ God!"_

"_No!"_ She screamed out again. _"I will not worship a false god!"_

"_Then what good are you?!"_

I knew what this angry vampire would do to her now. He was going to kill her. He was going to kill his own wife! I suddenly flung myself over Mathias and tried to shield his eyes as best I could as his mother screamed out in agony behind me. Mathias screamed out in terror—obviously knowing what was happening. Tears ran down my cheeks as I tried my best to comfort him. I understood why Mathias had wanted to keep his father a secret from me. His father was truly a monster—more of a monster than Mathias and I were in my time.

My hold on Mathias tightened when I failed to hear Lucretia scream anymore. His father would come to turn Mathias now and I could do nothing about it. I felt a cold strong hand on my shoulder and I let out a scream myself as I was flung to the stone floor.

"No!" I yelled out, my voice now seeming broken.

I watched in horror as the vampire sunk his teeth into Mathias' neck and then pull away. I felt outraged and saddened by the act I had just witnessed. It was terrifying! I cried out as I tried to struggle back onto Mathias' bed. I could see how much pain he was in and I knew exactly how he felt. I could almost recall that sensation that seemed like electricity running through my veins. All I could do was scream. Screaming was all that Mathias could do as well.

I saw him quickly fading away from me and I felt myself return to my mermaid form. Mathias had, once again, been torn away from me and I was left in tears. I allowed myself to sink to the sea floor and I cried and cried and cried. I cried for all the suffering that Mathias must've gone through after his turning was complete. I cried for how he must've felt when he discovered that his father had killed his mother. I also cried for the way he looked at me when his father pushed me away. It was a look of lost hope. A look that I had worn when I found out that he had left me for the first time.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I don't know how long I had cried for but, eventually, I had run out of tears. I knew that I couldn't continue to sulk there on the ocean floor and I knew that Noel was probably still worried about me. I couldn't keep my sister waiting. Besides, what with everything that had been happening to me lately, I could use her comfort.

I found the journal lying near my and I picked the book up. I traced my hand across the frozen lilac on the cover and a few tears streamed down my face. Funny, I thought that I had none left. I had learned so much from that last scene that was presented to me. So many pieces of a puzzle had just been fit together and I was beginning to see a horrific picture.

There were a few things that I was now sure of. One, the owner of this journal, this mermaid princess, was in love with Mathias 1000 years ago. I also knew that her name was Rose—or something along the lines of that—and she was _very_ similar to me. I also knew that the phantom palace I had found belonged to her. Lastly, I knew that she was still lingering within this world—guiding me in the world of vampires as best she could. She was trying to give me a message. I still couldn't figure out what it was though. There were many mixed messages I was receiving and I didn't like it. I wanted her to just tell me what she was trying to say.

I flipped through the pages of the journal to find that all of the entries were there and the same as they had been. Curiosity rose in my mind at something. What exactly was it that I was about to read? I quickly flipped to the entry I wanted and I began to read.

_November 1, 999_

_Oh God, I am terrified upon what I have witnessed tonight. The devil has come to steal Mathias' soul from the light._

I blinked, slightly shocked. That was the first time that Rose had used Mathias' name. Before, she would always use the term 'my love'. I flipped a few pages back to find that the term 'my love' had been replaced with Mathias' name. Had Rose been keeping his name from me? I didn't understand why. Perhaps she wanted to keep him anonymous. But now I knew so, there was no point in changing 'Mathias' to 'my love'. Going back to the entry I had been reading, I continued where I had left off.

_Mathias' mother, Lucretia brought me to her family's castle. I discovered that Mathias had become sick with the plague. When I entered his room, he seemed very happy to see me. He beckoned me to his side and he called me his angel. He continued to call me that while a priest tried to heal him with the power of God. I wasn't sure of my position on the subject but, I was praying too that some miracle might save my beloved Mathias. I did not expect the devil to come and bestow a curse upon him!_

_I discovered that Mathias' father is a monster. He did, indeed, make a deal with the devil. I watched in fear as the man killed his wife, Lucretia by biting into her neck and draining her of her blood. I clung to Mathias—more fearful for his life than mine. My attempts to protect him went in vain. I was torn from him and flung to the floor. I screamed out as the devil's host bit into Mathias' neck. This monster was going to kill him! He was going to kill Mathias and there was nothing I could do about it!_

_However, to my confusion, his father moved away from him. Mathias began to scream. I thought he was dying and I flung myself on him. His fever drastically increased and I truly believed that this was the last moment I would ever get to spend with him._

_I waited and waited for Mathias to pass yet, he still lives. Even as I write this, he is alive—still screaming from whatever his father had done to him. There is nothing that I can do other than stay by his side. I promised him that I would not leave him._

_I fear that Mathias' condition is worsening. His skin feels as if it is icing over as I write this. For now, I must give all my attention to Mathias. However, I will say that the sun has now risen over the horizon and it is a new day. Perhaps a new day awaits Mathias? I can only hope so._

Oh my goddess, Aqua Regina. I was Rose in her little illusion! I couldn't believe it! Well, actually, I kind of could. We were both in love with the same vampire and were both Mermaid Princesses of the Antarctic Ocean only, I still am. I was amazed at how Mathias was turned though. He actually witnessed his mother's murder. Rose had witnessed it too. It must've been horrific for her to have seen that.

All of a sudden, Subaru's words resurfaced in my mind. They were words that I hadn't thought of in the longest time. They were words that Subaru had spoken on the night that he met me. I heard his words so vividly in my mind. _'Apparently, a vampire fell in love with a mermaid princess and the vampire king wasn't too happy about it. So, the vampire king went out and killed the mermaid.'_

Rose was the mermaid princess in this story. I knew she was. Mathias was the vampire king. But who was the other vampire? And why would Mathias kill Rose if he loved her? None of this made sense to me. The temptation was getting to me and I flipped the page to the next entry. I gasped when I found that the next date was in December. She hadn't written in over a month?! I couldn't believe it! Nevertheless, I began to read.

_December 17, 999_

_I know I haven't written in a long time but there have been so many things that have happened in the time I've been gone. Thankfully, Mathias is alive and well. However, he is different. I don't know how to describe it. I've never seen so much change in a man so quickly. Well, no, he's no longer a man. He is a Night Dweller. That is what he said that_ their _kind are. He doesn't sleep at night. His father doesn't either, apparently._

_There are other big changes other than that. Mathias' beautiful blue eyes are now a liquid gold colour that seem dangerous, dark and constantly hungry. His skin is now a deathly white colour and his light brown hair is almost black. Those were the obvious changes. However, there were other ones as well. There were changes that had occurred that could not be identified by appearance. Both his diet and personality changed as well._

_Mathias doesn't eat. Well, not in front of me, at least. His diet consists of animal blood and the food that he eats as a prop. Normal human food has absolutely no taste or satisfaction for him. He told me that he only eats it to seem more human. Human blood is the only thing that will rid him of his hunger. However, he has sworn to never drink the substance. For that, I am glad. I am not pleased with how his personality has changed, though._

_He has become evil, in a way. His heart is full of hatred—especially towards his father for inflicting this lifestyle upon him. He despises everyone around him and he hardly even acknowledges me anymore. It seems as if he hates me as well. I have lost sleep over this matter and I cannot make the pain in my heart go away. I love Mathias so very much. I don't want him to hate me. I do not think I would be able to bear it if he forsakes me._

Well, Subaru's story seemed more likely now. Mathias seemed a lot darker now. Did he really act that way and ignore his fiancée? Yes, he would. If he left me then he could easily ignore his fiancée. My only question was whether or not he killed her. I still didn't think it was likely. Mathias wouldn't have killed a mermaid princess. Would he?

I pushed the thought out of my mind and slammed the journal shut. I wasn't going to allow myself to think this way. My sister was in her kingdom waiting for me. I wasn't going to get sidetracked this time. Determined, I got off the sea floor and I began swimming north. I still had a long swim ahead of me. I couldn't afford to get distracted now.

I decided that it would be best to not dwell in my thoughts so I tried my best to only focus on the ocean scenery. I had only been to Rina's kingdom once before and I was finding navigation a little bit tricky. However, I found familiarity when I was in the area of the Green Mermaid Princess's palace. I knew where I was now and I knew that I was much closer to Noel's kingdom. I certainly wouldn't be long now.

I pushed myself to swim faster and faster. I tried to focus on my speed rather than what I had recently learned. I tried to focus on the every movement that my body made. I tried to focus on how my muscles were moving in order to propel me faster. When I focused on that, I found it easier to speed up my pace even more. I was certain that I had broken some sort of swimming record among sea creatures. Then again, the fact that I was only half-mermaid probably meant that I would inevitably be cheating.

I was soon welcomed by frigid waters similar to the waters of my kingdom back in the Antarctic. I had finally reached the Arctic Ocean. This was my sister's kingdom. It was so similar to my kingdom although, it had a few distinct differences. The main thing that I noticed was that there was no huge landmass that surrounded the top of the earth. The closet thing that they had to Antarctica was Canada. Subaru had been born and raised in Canada…

No! I mustn't think about him! Subaru was gone. There was absolutely nothing that I could do about that. Still, my non-beating heart ached for him. I still wanted him as much as I wanted Mathias. It made me wonder if I'd ever be able to go on without Subaru even if I was somehow reunited with Mathias.

My pace slowed to a stop as I began to ponder these things. Lucky for me, I didn't have to dwell on them for too long. Fortunately, a killer whale swam by and pulled me out of my thoughts. The creature swam towards me with curious eyes and swam in a circle around me. Its eyes held recognition towards me and it let out a cry of happiness. It moved around to my back and gently shoved my forward before it swam ahead of me. It waited, looking back to see if I would follow it. I was confused by the whale but decided to see where it would bring me.

I propelled myself forward to swim after the creature and it seemed to delight in my decision. It began to make a sound very akin to singing and I decided to join in. My voice and the whale's echoed throughout the barren ocean as we swam and I was beginning to feel quite comforted. I missed that sense of companionship that I had when with both Subaru and Mathias. It was good to have some interaction again.

My eyes were instantly drawn to the next thing I saw. They beheld a glorious palace that had been built up with deep blue walls and indigo arches. I saw many mermaids swimming around—all of them with some shade of dark blue in their hair. Most of them were playing with more killer whales and a few seals. I felt a smile spread across my face and I broke out into a quick paced swim to the main entrance. My sister's kingdom. I was finally here.

Eagerness, excitement and anxiousness bubbled within me as I entered my sister's palace. Sashes of every kind of blue were hung from the high walls and concave ceilings which gave the main hall an interesting atmosphere. It almost reminded me of the ballroom back in Mathias' mansion. However, architecture and decorating was the last thing on my mind at the moment. I was looking for something—or rather, someone better.

That was when I saw her. Her back was turned to me and she was speaking with a few of her attendants. I watched her as she gracefully pushed her sapphire hair back behind her ears as she spoke, seeming to not take notice when it fell right back to where it was. Right now, she was the most beautiful person in the world to me. Right now, I didn't care if I would never see Subaru or Mathias ever again. I had my sister. I swam forward, my excitement now clearly evident on my face.

"Noel!" I cried out with joy as I flung myself toward her.

She seemed quite surprised as I fell into her arms; however, she quickly embraced me knowing that I was simply there. I hugged her as well and I swore that I would never let her go. Never again would I go for a long period of time without her. I needed her more than I would ever need Mathias or Subaru.

"Oh, Caren!" She exclaimed, acknowledging my presence with somewhat of a relieved tone. "Thank goodness, you're alright!"

I glanced up at my sister, already knowing what she was referring to. "You heard me call out to you, didn't you?"

She nodded in response and held me tighter. "It was so hard to not go to your aid. I wanted to—I really did. There was an issue that arose here that I had to deal with so, I couldn't come to you. I'm so sorry."

I gave her a smile of understanding. "Don't worry. I already had to others come to my aid—Mathias was one of them."

Remembrance flickered through Noel's eyes as I quietly mentioned Mathias. Suddenly, I could see the thousands of questions that arose in her eyes. "He came back to you?"

I lowered my head and let out a sigh. "Not necessarily."

Noel hummed in response and then glanced around. I watched as she gave her servants an apologetic look and they nodded in response as if they understood her need to be alone with me for a while. They swam off and Noel and I were alone in the main hall. However, that didn't seem to be enough for Noel.

She pulled away from me and took my hand to lead me to a more secluded area of her palace. We passed many elegant rooms and, eventually, we came to a room that I assumed was Noel's bedroom. She pulled me inside, making sure to shut the door behind us. Apparently, her room put the rest of the palace to shame. It was large—just like any princess's room would be however, it was decorated quite differently. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling with thousands of sparkling sapphires dangling from the silver frame. The precious jewels threw dark blue rainbows all over the room which illuminated another beautiful feature the room possessed.

All the walls had a gorgeous mural painted on it. It was of both the world above and below the sea. On the wall where the land was most visible, I could see polar bears playing with each other on a snowy, mountainous tundra. Another wall showed a bunch of killer whales swimming on the water's surface while many icebergs floated around them. On another wall, there were mermaids playing and swimming with a bunch of seals below the ocean's surface. On the final wall, it showed both the land and sea where all three murals were merged into one—an image of both the land and sea coexisting peacefully with one another.

There were many other things that I noted about the room but, I tried to bring my focus back to my sister. Noel proceeded to swim over to her bed and she sat gracefully on one side. She patted the spot beside her, motioning for me to come and sit by her side. I accepted the invitation and allowed her to cradle me in her arms. She softly stroked my hair and the tone of her voice took on a more motherly role than a sisterly one as she next spoke.

"Now, tell me everything that happened to you."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I let out a groan as I sat impatiently on the seat of a passenger train. I was sick of sitting in this cursed piece of technology. Trains were the only mode of transportation that Noel and I were currently using to cross Europe. We'd been on a train all day and I _hated_ it. I was beginning to absolutely _loathe_ it. There just wasn't anything for me to do. Sure, I might've talked to Noel but, she wasn't exactly awake at the moment. She was lucky enough to be able to fall asleep. I, on the other hand, could not. So, I was left to try and distract myself on a train ride that never seemed to end.

I decided to recall the events of my discussion with Noel when I first arrived at her kingdom. I had told her my life story from when we had last seen each other. I told her about _everything_. I told her about Subaru, about how I had fallen in love with him and still love him as much as I do Mathias. I told her about the ruins I had found in Antarctica and about Rose and the journal. I told her about the assumptions I had made about how Mathias may have been the one responsible for one of my predecessor's deaths. The only things I didn't mention were the illusion Rose had shown me and the connection I tried to make between Subaru's friend and Mathias' cousin. I knew that Felix would be irrelevant but, the other one just seemed so personal. It was something that I couldn't share—even with Noel.

I smiled as I laid my eyes upon her form, curled up on the double-seated chair. She looked so peaceful—so serene. It was as if she didn't have a care in the world. I was amazed by the fact that my twisted life seemed to have no effect on her. She just absorbed the information as if everything I was telling her was perfectly normal. None of it was normal though. I didn't even think that her reaction was considered normal. A normal person would have freaked out of would have been wary of me. Not my sister though. She was just so compassionate and understanding… she still loved me—despite the evil creature that I am.

I let out a content sigh before turning to look out the window. A frown crossed my face as I could only see a thick fog. I couldn't even see the scenery of what I imagined would be one of the most beautiful places in the world. The mountains and trees were all shrouded in mist and dark rainclouds blurred the vision of a clear blue sky. And, not only was it exceedingly wet outside, the amount of moisture of the train was sickening as well. None of the humans could detect it but, it was hazing my senses and messing up my sense of smell. The smell of damp pine pretty much overpowered every other scent that I should have been able to pick up.

I let out a groan and I tried to curl up on my seat like Noel had done in hers. I closed my eyes, feigning sleep, pretending that I might actually fall asleep if I really tried. I tried to let my mind go completely blank to see if I might slip into unconsciousness. Unfortunately, my attempts went in vain. No matter what I tried, sleep would not overcome me. There wasn't even a trace of tiredness in my body.

So, I just laid there—my eyes still closed—and tried to focus on the scents around me. They all seemed muffled to me. I couldn't pick out a single distinct scent. Then, my sense heightened and I was able to pick up one scent. I knew this scent. I remembered it from some point in my past as a vampire. I listened, trying to pick up on the distinctly female footsteps that were walking down the aisle. My eyes snapped open and I sat up to quickly look at the vampire who was passing my seat. Our eyes connected and I could see a range of emotions flicker through her eyes. First there was shock, and then fear. Genuine fear. I didn't know why she was so afraid but I knew that she was here. She was here and that meant that _he_ was somewhere nearby.

"Miranda…" I said quietly, acknowledgement clearly evident in my voice.

"Lady Caren…" She started in a quiet tone so that only I would be able to hear her voice. "What are you doing here?"

A bitter smile graced my lips and my remark didn't sound as cheerful as I had wanted it to sound. "I'm on vacation. What are _you_ doing here, Miranda?"

She seemed to hesitate before giving me a reply. "I was… searching for someone."

I cocked my head to the side. "Someone I know?"

Miranda looked around cautiously before looking back at me. "N-no. You've never formally met him before."

Hmm… someone I'd never formally met before. Well, that took Mathias out of the equation. I was worried that she had been searching for him because something bad had happened. It made me curious as to who it was she was looking for. Maybe it was that Nikademus vampire. I had never _formally_ met him before. Did he count? I didn't know. But, maybe I could get more information out of Miranda. I wanted to know where Mathias was.

"I see…" I murmured gently in response to her. Then, I looked at her hopefully while patting the seat beside me. "Care to sit? I have a lot of things I want to talk to you about."

It seemed as if Miranda was hesitating again. Even more so this time than when I asked why she was here. I shifted over to make more room for her, hoping that she would take my hint and sit down. A triumphant smile spread across my face as Miranda reluctantly sat down. Not being able to help myself, I hugged her tightly. She recoiled from me and let out a quiet hiss. I quickly drew back from her and I didn't have to look at a mirror to know that shock was clearly evident on my face. Miranda had just hissed at me and it was the most threatening thing I had ever heard in my life. Suddenly, I didn't want to talk to her anymore. Suddenly, I was terrified of the woman who had become my best friend in the time after I had been turned.

"Miranda…?" I almost couldn't speak. I still couldn't believe that she had hissed at me. It was like a painful slap to the face.

The blonde vampire's face seemed to twist with torment and anguish as she looked at me. "Oh, Caren, you _had_ to choose _Germany_, didn't you."

I felt so confused by her actions and words. First, she threatens me and then becomes very sad that I chose to go to Germany on my vacation. Noel and I had decided on this trip long ago. I didn't understand what was so bad about Germany.

I was about to ask her what was wrong with my choice of a vacation spot when a beeping sounded from the pocket of the jeans Miranda was wearing. The beeping sounded like a familiar tune that I couldn't quite recall the name of. It only clicked in my mind that the beeping was from a cell phone when Miranda quickly answered it.

"Have you found him?" She asked quickly.

"No. I take it you haven't either, then."

My eyes went wide when I heard the voice on the other line. I knew that voice. I knew it better than my own. It was the voice that once terrified me, that once consoled me, and that once hummed sweet lullabies to me although I could not sleep. "Mathias?"

Miranda flinched and I could hear Mathias gasp on the other line.

"What is _she_ doing there?" Mathias demanded with venom dripping on each of his words.

There it was. A second slap to the face. I was feeling utterly rejected in that moment and it hurt more than when he left me that first time. The way he spoke, it sounded as if I was some sort of venomous snake—a disgusting, repulsive thing that didn't deserve to live. And, in that moment, I wanted to die. I wished that he would have killed me that night instead of turned me. I wouldn't have felt the pain I did now.

"Miranda, let me talk to her." Mathias commanded angrily while hissing through his teeth.

The blonde vampire immediately handed the phone into my hands and a look of pity and sadness crossed her face once again. I tried to ignore her expression. I tried to ignore the fact that the man I loved seemed extremely angry with me.

"Mathias?" I asked quietly, my voice breaking as I spoke his name.

"Caren," Mathias started, seeming as if he had gotten his anger under control for the moment. He still sounded really mad, though. "Go home. Now. You _don't_ belong here."

I heard the phone click. The third and final slap. I thought I was in pain before. This was a million times worse. I silently handed the phone back to Miranda and she shoved it back into her pocket. She stood up and gave me a final glance of sadness.

"Caren. It would be best if you do what he says." She stated before walking back into the aisle. She briefly stopped to give me one final piece of advice. "Oh, and please, don't go into the car behind this one. It wouldn't be a very wise choice on your part. Be sure to get off this train as soon as possible and surround yourself with humans."

With that, she walked away from me, looking quite miserable. I, on the other hand, was still trying to accept what had happened in that brief moment of time. It seemed to me that my mind had stopped functioning. I just sat there, my eyes wide; looking at the place Miranda had been sitting. She had been there a moment ago. Now she wasn't. Perhaps I had imagined that she was there and the whole thing had never happened.

That had to be it. The incident never happened. I was just under a lot of pressure and I was only imagining Miranda and the sound of Mathias' voice. Mathias didn't hate me. He loved me. That was why he had turned me. Of course I belonged with him! He was just being silly. No, he wasn't being silly at all. He had never said anything to begin with. He still loved me.

I tried to forget the scene that I believed had never happened. I looked back at Noel and listened to the steady beating of her heart. She was still fast asleep. I smiled—something that seemed to be so difficult even though I knew that the meeting with Miranda had never happened—and looked out the window. Light broke through the dark clouds and for the first time in a long time, I saw the sun.

I felt absolutely mystified by the natural light as it illuminated the countryside. Its golden rays shone down on the pines and rolling hills, painting the once misty terrain with vibrant and lush shades of green, red, yellow, and orange. I could see rain still falling from the dark clouds around the sun and watched as the sunlight reflected off the crystal-like liquid. I could see thousands of rainbows dancing around the sky and felt absolutely awestruck.

I'd never seen a rainbow when I was a vampire. Before, I didn't have the incredible sight that I had now. Before, I wouldn't be able to see any of the rain drops falling or any of the tiny rainbows that made up the huge arch that would be noticeable to human eyes. The sun was still shining bright and it made the rainbows so much more vibrant. I could see every single colour on the colour spectrum—thousands of different colours that I could clearly distinguish. I was the only one who could see the true beauty of this wonder.

All of a sudden, the scent of sunshine became very clear to me. I could smell the sun—even within the train with the sickeningly moist air. The scent was extremely familiar and I saw what it reminded of me. The image was vividly clear in my mind and, for a moment, I was overcome by sheer happiness. However, that happiness was not to last long. The image had been shattered by the fact that I would never see my sunshine again.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was mocked by the sun and all of its glory. As much as I thought that the rainbows were enchantingly beautiful, I no longer wanted to see the sun. It was too painful for me to look at. It was too heartbreaking. I needed another distraction.

It was then that I remembered the journal. I still had it with me. I could read something from it. Then again, what with the way Rose was telling of the change in Mathias, I wasn't quite sure I wanted to read more. If I read more, I may really believe that what happened earlier _did_ happen. But if I didn't continue to read, I may not receive the message that Rose was trying to tell me. Reluctantly, I opened the book on my lap and began to read.

_January 5, 1000_

_I have about had it with him! I cannot take much more of this unnecessary solitude that Mathias has forced upon me! Even when I happen to see him (which has become quite rare, I must say) he completely shuns me and rejects me as if I were a venomous snake! I am even considering refusing his proposal. I will not be his wife if this is how he treats me. I can think of much better people to spend my time with._

_Well, speaking of that, I do believe that I have grown quite fond of Mathias' cousin. Both of his parents have been killed by the plague and Mathias' father decided to take it within his liberty to… 'save' Felix. He, however, has not gone mad from the devil's curse and has befriended me. He is quite the interesting person to talk to. He is also very observant as well. He actually guessed that I am a mermaid princess! To this day, I still do not know how he knew. The only other person to guess my heritage had been Mathias._

_Oh, Mathias. I should hope that he does not discover this friendship. I cannot imagine how he would react. He is not, after all, the same gentle man I once knew. I fear that he may be angered by my choice._

I laughed bitterly. I wondered how Mathias would react if I had told him that I had fallen in love with a human while he was away. Oh, wouldn't he just _love_ that? Maybe I should give that message to Miranda to give to Mathias.

Wait, no! Meeting with Miranda and speaking to Mathias never happened. It couldn't have happened. My mind was simply playing tricks on me. Mathias would never know of my love for Subaru because Miranda wasn't here to receive the message!

_Stupid, stupid vampires_, I thought bitterly. They were driving me to the point of insanity. Then again, I was certain that every vampire had some sort of twisted part to their mind. Apparently, Mathias had received this over a thousand years ago. Sadly, I wouldn't be surprised if Rose ended up falling for his cousin. Felix was probably the vampire that Rose was cheating on the 'vampire king' with. Yeah, I could see that. Mathias was a jerk and I loved Subaru now.

Did that mean that Mathias would come and kill me out of jealousy? Yeah, I could see that too. He did, after all, almost kill me that one night. Had I not brought up Noel, he never would have spared me. Haha, how ironic. Noel was the one to save _me_ while _she_ was still in captivity.

A yawn escaped my lips from habit and I glanced around the passenger car. There were many different people scattered about and each of them had their own distinct scents. Some of them were sprawled out on a single seat—much like my sister at the moment—and others were reading or listening to their mp3 players, etc. A heater was blowing the scent of the people in the seat opposite to mine right into my face and I felt my body tense.

When was the last time I had hunted? I searched my mind for a time when I was drinking the sweet life nectar out of some creature. The most recent time I could think of was in Antarctica. That couldn't be good. All of a sudden, that sunshiny scent was all I could think about. It was overwhelming.

I looked out the window to glare at the sun to find that it had gone and hidden itself behind dark grey clouds. That was strange. Why was the smell of sunshine so strong? Wait… could it be? I turned to get a second look at the passenger car. My eyes searched everywhere for fluffy blonde hair and blue eyes. I didn't see anything.

"Hey, I know you."

I gasped and turned as a voice acknowledged me. My eyes widened in absolute shock. Today was apparently a day of reunions. Then again, that first reunion didn't really count. Miranda had never been here. But still, this one was very shocking.

"Taro Mitsuki?"

The brown-eyed musician looked at me curiously and then eyed my sister sleeping on the other seat. He looked back at me and then smiled. "Well, the last place I expected to find you was in Germany."

I smiled genuinely back at him and moved over so that he could sit down. I needed conversation. "You're surprised by seeing _me_ here? I thought that you were still teaching music back in Japan."

"I was," he said somewhat sadly before he decided to sit in the seat beside me. "I decided to come teach music over here for a while."

I hummed in response before another thought crossed my mind. "I bet that must've broken Hanon's heart."

Taro sighed as I brought up the Aqua Mermaid Princess's name. Of course that name would strike a chord. Hanon had been desperately in love with him. She was even worried that I might have had some fling with him. That wasn't really the case. I had heard about Taro and his affair with Sara from Coco. The only reason why I sought out Taro Mitsuki in the first place was because the name sounded familiar. That was all.

"Hanon was upset about it but I composed a song just for her to make the parting easier." He explained, the memory reflecting in his eyes.

I smiled and leaned back against the seat. "She really liked you, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did." He said with a sigh. It seemed as if he tried to push the memory away as he now looked at me questioningly. "So, Caren, what brings _you_ to Germany?"

I shrugged and then glanced over at my sister who was beginning to stir. She would wake soon, I was sure. I sighed and then glanced back up at Taro.

"Well, I've been having a few issues in my life and Noel demanded that I take a vacation. So, she brought me here. Now we're headed for a small city called Lamia Moenia." I explained as if this was something that I'd said many times before.

I didn't actually know what the city's name meant. All Noel knew about it was that it was in Latin and hadn't been changed over to German because that town was still ruled by a monarchy. I thought that was really odd considering Germany's violent past. They were the cause for both 'world wars' yet, this little town remained untouched by it. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Noel wanted to come to this place. History fascinated her more than anything.

Taro hummed in response to what I had said before. He looked at me quizzically before asking another question. "You wouldn't happen to be staying at a hotel called 'Die Bissen', would you?"

I was about to tell him that I wasn't quite sure but, when I opened my mouth, it was my sister's voice I heard.

"Yeah, we are." She confirmed, while shifting to sit up right. "The place is supposed to be really amazing."

Taro nodded at her as if he already knew this. He and Noel quickly got into a conversation about the place we were going to and I fell into silence. I listened to their voices, feeling comfort with the familiarity. Doing this, I was also able to pick up on a lot of information about the German town. It was apparently quite the tourist attraction and the hotel we were to be staying at was huge (not to mention expensive). Taro would be performing there for a few nights to entertain the guests.

Eventually, their voices became silent to me as I fell further into my own. To pass the time, I found myself gazing out the window. The sun was shining again and it seemed as if most of the clouds had cleared up. The sky was bright blue and contrasted against the colours of autumn. That haze of mist was completely gone making the countryside look bright and clear. I admired this natural canvas of colour. It was remarkably beautiful. It was something that could never be imitated with paints or cameras.

Then, as the train proceeded over the peak of a hill, I found myself gaping at what I saw next. I saw the town of Lamia Moenia. It was a gorgeous little town that was nestled within a valley of mountains, surrounded by forests of pines, maples and oaks. Cutting through the town, forests and mountains was a river—unnoticeable to human eyes. The other things that only I was able to see were the intricate, winding streets that all seemed to lead to the heart of the city, the large cathedral was most likely the heart of the city, and the large building at the outskirts of town, overlooking the forest and river which I presumed was our hotel.

The car went silent for a moment before a chorus of 'oooh's and 'ahhh's erupted at the sight. Even Noel and Taro had stopped their conversation to look at the magnificent view. No wonder this was such a touristy place. It was absolutely beautiful. Beauty was all I could see as I gazed down at the town I was to be staying in. I just couldn't seem to keep my eyes off of it as the train wound itself down through the valley.

Time passed and, very soon, my vision of the town became obscured by trees. The ground slowly became level and I knew that we were near the bottom of the valley. Tall trees hovered above the train as it passed underneath a colourful canopy of leaves. I would've thought that most trees around train tracks would be removed but, apparently it wasn't necessary here. I kind of preferred that. It was quite the experience to look out the window and see treetops instead of the sky. The autumn leaves made it even more spectacular. Suddenly, I felt glad to be here. I was glad that Noel had dragged me onto this train. Somehow, I got the feeling that all the pain that I had gathered would end here. This would be my place of redemption.

I merely watched the leaves go by as my sister and Taro talked to each other. Their voices were merely background noise to me as I allowed the world around me to distract my eyes. I saw many things as the train sped through the forest. I saw herds of deer, great hawks, a pack of wolves… a familiar figure that watched the train go by from far off in the forest.

Hold on.

I tried to glance back at the trees but the person was gone. I knew that he had been a fair distance from the train yet, he looked at it as if he saw it. He was a vampire and I was sure that he lived in the town. However, that didn't shock me quite as much as the information that I already knew about this vampire. I had _seen_ this vampire before. This was the vampire Nikademus who was the reason for Mathias leaving me in the first place. Suddenly, I felt really afraid of what was to come in this little town. I feared for my sister's life. I feared for Taro's life. I feared for my own life.

The scenery began to change and I saw many mansions whiz by my eyes. I saw the people that wandered the streets—almost half of them looking abnormally beautiful. The train began to slow and I didn't feel at ease at all. _Get off this train as soon as possible and surround yourself with humans._

The warning was so real now that I could not deny the meeting with Miranda. She _was_ on the train, she _had_ spoken to me and Mathias _had_ rejected me. It had all happened. Now, I had to decide what to do. I had to protect my sister as well as Taro from the vampires that were living here. I had to do all that I possibly could to protect them from this danger. First thing was first: getting off the train.

I waited impatiently, tapping my fingers on my lap as the train pulled into the station. I chewed on my lips, waiting and waiting and waiting for the train to come to a complete stop. I found myself holding my breath as the train finally came to a halt. I let my breath rush out of me as I quickly stood up. I swiftly bent over to pick up both mine and my sister's travel bags and I slung them over my shoulder, waiting for her and Taro to stand up. Noel, instantly picking up on my edginess, stood up quickly and put her hand on my shoulder. I glanced at her with worry and she gave me a look that seemed to say 'we'll talk later'.

Taro stood up then, explaining to us that he had to go back to his car and get his stuff and then he would see us later at the hotel. We both gave him a smile (one that was very forced on my part) and bid him farewell. He then left us and we both decided that it was time to get off the train.

I literally dragged Noel off that train with a swiftness that would be hard to match for a human. I just hoped that no one would notice. As we stepped onto the stone ground at the station, my eyes darted around the area. I glanced over at the car where Miranda had gone to and my eyes widened in shock. I saw her and a huge group of vampires. And I was supposed to be illegal. If I had gone to that second car, I'd probably be killed right then and there. I saw absolutely no humans getting out of that car. Fearful, I quickly led Noel away from the train and I found a group of tourists that were walking around. I quickly pulled Noel into the middle of them and I allowed myself to slightly relax.

I couldn't help letting my eyes dart around the town. There were many humans but, I think that the vampires outnumbered them. There were hundreds of golden eyes all watching me—some with hatred, others with pity, and others with disgust. I wanted to shrink low to the ground. I wanted to try and protect myself from their evil eyes. Any good feelings that I had before were gone. I was scared.

Noel held my hand tightly and tried to give me a reassuring smile. I wasn't quite sure if she was aware of the current situation. I could tell that somewhere deep inside her, she was feeling some level of fear as well. She was trying to be so strong in my moments of fear. I was so glad that I had her. She was always watching out for me now that we formally knew each other.

I also discovered that she was an amazing person to have around when it came to navigating around places you've never been before. She'd already taken into liberty getting a map of the town and memorizing it. She knew exactly how to get around and she knew exactly where our hotel was. She found the quickest way to the 'Die Bissen' and the next thing I knew, we were checked in.

The 'Die Bissen' was unlike anything that I had ever seen before. It was, by far, the largest hotel I had ever seen in my entire life. The moment that you entered, it was like walking into an old cathedral from Roman times. The interior looked like the walls were made from gold. The same went for the ceiling and the floor. Large windows were all along the walls and in-between them were large magnificent tapestries that had the most intricate detail I'd ever seen. The high-arched ceilings were supported by great stone pillars that gave the hotel even more of a cathedral-like feeling to it. But the ceiling, oh the magnificent ceiling! It had a large mural painted on it that depicted scenes from the bible. In the center, God was shown as a glorious being. Angels and archangels thronged the heavens around him while seraphim and cherubim flew around, obviously in worship. Then there were the humans, all of them seeming completely unworthy in their worshiping as if they all carried the greatest of sins. Then, on the outskirts of the mural, there were vampires and demons and all sorts of other creatures that supposedly belonged to the devil who scorned God. However, the thing that shocked me the most was the fact that, along with the vampires and demons and dragons, there were mermaids.

I felt very offended by this. Why would mermaids be depicted as being evil and of the devil? We stood for love and friendship and devotion—not hatred and evilness! Why would we be depicted as evil! I lowered my eyes from the mural as if it had disgraced me. I wasn't evil. I was good. Was I to be labeled as evil because I was born? That hardly seemed fair. And what of the other mermaid princesses? I _knew_ that they weren't evil. I had seen the goodness in all of them—even Sara who had gone to the dark for a time. Mermaids couldn't be depicted as evil.

I felt Noel dragging me away from the main entrance towards a more modern looking area in the hotel. It would have been behind the wall where the reception desk was and we entered the area from one of two doorways. A few chairs and couches littered this area where people could sit on if they so wished. At the end of this room, there was a staircase that wound around a thick pillar that served as an elevator shaft. Our room was on the sixth floor of the hotel so, we took the elevator.

After walking around a few winding hallways, we eventually found our way to our room and, once again, I was taken by surprise. The room was huge! It was almost as big as Maki's restaurant back in Japan! It had a high ceiling though, not as high as the one in the main entrance but, if every floor had rooms like this, it was no surprise why I had thought that the elevator ride seemed longer than usual.

There were two king sized beds in the room, both of which had black, lace canopies above them. The beds themselves were made up with dark red comforters of velvet and silk. The curtains were of the same design. They were made up of dark red silk and were covered by fine black lace. Black and red seemed to be the theme of this room. The carpet was black and red, the walls were painted black and red, everything was black and red! Even the desks and bed frames were either painted black or were a deep shade of mahogany. There was a black flat-screen TV and computer in the room as well as a black phone. When I went to go see what the bathroom looked like, I wasn't surprised to find that the black and red theme was there as well. There were black and red walls and shower curtains. Then, there was a black jacoosi, a black slower, a black counter and sink and floor, red soap, red towels, and red candles that were littered around the room.

I let out a sigh and then walked back into the main room.

"Cheerful place, don't you think?" I muttered as I let myself fall onto one of the beds.

I was amazed by the sheer comfort of the bed. It was so comfortable and it relaxed my senses. If I didn't know any better, I swear I'd have been able to fall asleep instantly on these beds. I glanced over at Noel and she appeared to be just as amazed as I was.

"I'll say." She said breathlessly as she gazed around the room again as if to see if it was really real. "I take it vampires like this kind of décor?

I softly laughed. "So you noticed? …Yes, vampires do tend to like their overly fancy décor. They go out of their way to use fine lace, silk, and velvet whenever they can."

Now that I thought about it, the dress I had worn when I first formally met Mathias was made up of those three materials. Those were the days that I missed. In that short time after I had been turned by Mathias, I had felt truly happy. The only other time that I could think of when I was that happy was when I was with Subaru. Oh Subaru. I could have sworn that I had smelt him earlier on the train. My mind was playing tricks on me.

Remembering that Noel hadn't responded to me yet, I looked to find that she had lain down on the other bed and fell into a deep slumber. I smiled at her peaceful figure and I slipped off of my bed, feeling that she would be safe here. Right now, the rising burn in my throat made my main priority to hunt. I would go out onto the forest and seek out some sort of deer or any animal I could sink my teeth into.

Taking one of the two card keys of the mahogany desk, I slipped out into the hallway of the hotel. I easily found my way back to the spiraling staircase and I used this instead of the elevator. A familiar melody sounded in my ears and I recognized Taro's music being played on the piano. I followed that melody until I was in the main hall once again.

This time, I refused to look up at the mural and I looked at how the main hall was set up. To the right of the main entrance, there were a few chairs and couches as well as a few tables. A fireplace was also present in that area. To the right of the main entrance, there was a bar off to the side where people could get drinks if they desired. In the middle of this area, chairs and couches surrounded a platform where a magnificent grand piano was placed. Taro was presently sitting at the piano and playing the song he had composed for Sara. A few tourists were gathered around him, listening to the enchanting melody. I would have stopped to hear him play but, I had to hunt. It was something that I wanted to get over with very soon.

Taking in a deep breath, I stepped out into twilight and headed for the forest behind the hotel. As soon as I was hidden by the trees, I took off, running faster than the train I had been on earlier. I let my senses take a hold of me and I relied on my instinct. Everything became clear and distinct now. I could hear the leaves rustling as my quick feet passed over them, never staying long enough to make them break. I could hear the wind whipping my violet hair around my pale body. Over the wind, I could hear thousands of heartbeats. I heard heartbeats from the faint beatings from a bug or the harsh beatings of a bat soaring overhead. I was looking for something a bit more powerful.

And then I heard it. I heard a loud, steady beating from off in the distance and I felt drawn to it. I jerked towards the sound, allowing my feet to propel me towards my prey. I was envisioning an elk or a wolf or, perhaps, even a wildcat. However, neither of those things was what awaited me. Instead, I heard another pair of agile feet moving quickly through the trees towards _my_ prey. I pushed myself to go faster, trying to beat this other hunter to the prize. I was getting closer and closer to the unsuspecting creature and then…

It hit me like a wall of bricks.

That glorious scent of sunshine—of Subaru—blew right into my face with a small gust of wind. My body went rigid and I pushed myself to go faster than I possibly could. I saw him then. My fluffy, blonde haired, blue eyed scientist was walking through the forest, completely unaware that both some creature and I were hunting him.

Next thing I knew, I lunged at him and flung him to the ground just as another vampire went to attack him. I heard Subaru gasp and let out a pained cry as he hit the ground. I positioned myself defensively over his body as the other vampire hissed angrily at me. I returned the gesture, my golden eyes narrowing in hatred at this vampire. The vampire growled at me fiercely but I held my ground. I knew I was putting on a good act but, on the inside, I was absolutely terrified. If I hadn't been shaking in anger, I'd be shaking in fear. But I wasn't going to let this vampire kill Subaru.

"Evil wretch!" The vampire spat at me venomously. "I knew that Mathias wouldn't kill you like I told him to!"

My eyes narrowed and I think I went more rigid than I had been before. I recognized this vampire now. This was the second time I had seen Nikademus today. I understood why Mathias wasn't pleased by his presence that one day when he came to our home.

"Leave now, Nikademus!" I demanded angrily, keeping a defensive stance.

He hissed at me again and took an offensive position. "I don't take orders from pathetic half-blood mermaid princesses. I'll kill you right here right now!"

Nikademus lunged forward to attack me and my façade broke. My expression turned to horror and I turned to protect Subaru with my body, letting out a scream of terror in the process. I felt Subaru cling to me at that moment, obviously aware of what was going to happen. I braced myself for Nikademus' attack but, it never came. Instead, I heard the sound of hissing and growling and fighting. I didn't dare look at what was happening. I was too afraid. Then, I heard Nikademus let out a cry of defeat and go running off.

Whoever it was who saved me turned to face Subaru and I who where still huddled together on the ground. Had I any common sense right now, I would try to pick up on the scent of the person. However, all I could smell was sunshine and I was perfectly fine with that.

"Caren? Love, are you alright?"

My head snapped up and I looked over to see Miranda standing in the clearing, looking at me with great worry. I was trembling, as was she, but, I nodded at her. I looked down at Subaru and he was looking at me with frightened eyes. The fear in his eyes made him almost childlike. I felt absolutely horrible for what I had been about to do. I had almost killed him. But, I had also saved his life. Feeling I had to do something, I tried to talk to him.

"S-Subaru? Are you hurt? Please, tell me I didn't hurt you." I went silent, waiting for his response. He just stayed silent, looking at me with scared eyes. I tried to talk to him again. "Subaru? Are you hurt?"

He continued to look at me, as if he was still trying to take in all that had happened. He probably knew that I had tried to kill him. He had probably heard the conversation between Nikademus and I. I had been exposed to him. He knew now that what I spoke in Antarctica was the complete and total truth.

"Caren… Caren…" Subaru whispered, his eyes finally acknowledging my appearance. "You… my beloved mermaid princess… you weren't lying about being a vampire as well, were you?"

I slowly shook my head, overly aware of Miranda's presence and contemplating what she would think of all this. What would she think of Subaru? What would she think of Subaru's knowledge? I had no time to think of her at the moment. Subaru began asking me many questions.

"What just happened? Who was that? And… who is Mathias?" He asked all at once.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. I tried to think of something to say and then, I decided that the truth would probably be the best choice. "Well, that man, that _vampire_, all I really know about him is that his name is Nikademus. As for what happened… well, Nikademus was hunting you. I was as well, I must confess, but, when I knew that it was you I was going after, I forced myself to protect you instead of kill you. Apparently, that made Nikademus really angry and, he tried to kill us both. Then, Miranda showed up and saved us."

I gestured to Miranda who seemed to be very confused with my honesty with Subaru. She tried to pull together a smile but, it was a poor effort. Her confusion still dominated her face. I looked back at Subaru as he pulled himself up to a sitting position.

"And, as for Mathias…" I lowered my head, my voice becoming quiet. "Well, he… he made me what I am today. He is the reason why I am who I am. He's even the reason why I met you in the first place and how I found you now."

I tried to hold back tears as I spoke of the vampire I still loved. It was all the more harder for me to do with Miranda standing there. She knew my exact feelings for Mathias and she could see the feelings I had acquired for Subaru. I felt Subaru murmur and 'I see' before he pulled me into his arms and planted a kiss on my cheek. Silence fell over the wooded area we were in and I completely ignored it, feeling happier than I was now that Subaru was with me. After a moment, I heard Subaru speak. However, he wasn't talking to me. He was talking to Miranda.

"So, did you find who you were looking for, yet?"

I glanced over at Miranda and she seemed confused for a moment. Then, I saw realization in her golden eyes. I still didn't understand. Had she met Subaru somewhere before this?

"I thought your scent was familiar." She stated while folding her arms over her chest. "Why were you eavesdropping on my conversation with Lady Caren earlier? And no, I didn't find who I was looking for."

Something in Miranda's reply clicked in my head. The last time we had a conversation was on the train. On the train, all I could smell was sunlight. When I turned to look for Subaru, I only saw the seats that were facing mine. If Subaru was indeed in that car then, he must've been in hearing distance of my conversation which meant…

"You were practically sitting _right behind me_ on the train and you didn't say anything!?"

Subaru looked at me with a goofy smile on his face. I could see the mischief in his eyes even now. I felt so betrayed by him! He had been there the whole time and I was completely oblivious! And when I was about to discover him, lo and behold, I get completely distracted by Taro Mitsuki! Oh cruel fate!

I heard Miranda laugh out loud and I turned to glare at her. This only seemed to make her laugh even more.

"Forgive me, Lady Caren." She said through her smile. "I couldn't resist! Your face was just too priceless! And the fact that you were fooled by a human was a jest in itself—especially since this Subaru is someone that you already know."

I looked sternly at her but couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She was right. Subaru had fooled me. He had kept himself hidden from me. However, at that moment, it seemed as if Miranda was internally reminded of something and she became more solemn.

"I must say, though, you _did_ pick a bad spot to vacation. I'm sure that as you've noticed this place is filled with vampires. Well, this is because Mathias' father lives here. He's pulled a disappearing act on us and, well, Mathias seemed desperate to find his whereabouts. He told me that he heard you call out for him and he has been absolutely terrified for your life ever since. Now, it would appear that things are quite tangled. You are here in the city of vampires with your sister and now, apparently, with him who you seem to care much for. Mathias is returning tomorrow and no one knows when his father is to return. Oh God, if things should go wrong now after all that we've done to try to keep you alive…"

Miranda trailed off, her voice becoming weak. She suddenly became alert and she let out a low hiss. "Caren, we have to leave now. Pick him up and bring him back to the hotel. I'll catch up with you."

I became alert in that moment as well, picking up on the scents of vampires as they drew near to this spot. My instincts kicked in at that moment and I quickly swept Subaru up into my arms. The next thing I knew, I was running through the forest towards the 'Die Bissen' with Subaru clinging to me all the way.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

Haha! Cliffhanger! Yeah, you probably hate me for doing that, but I just couldn't resist! Anyways, I know I didn't request any reviews but… I'm still feeling kinda disheartened that no one wants to say good things or constructive things about my story. So, I humbly ask for just one review. That's all. It would make me so happy and make me feel as if it was worth continuing this story. (Oh, and to MMayChan… I'm afraid that if you review, it won't count seeing as I'm going to force you to review one way or another. I still love you, bestest buddy! It isn't your fault if your review doesn't count! Actually… you should've reviewed earlier when you first started reading this…)


	4. Divine Expectations

Here it is. The last part of _Divine Expectations_. This is what I envisioned after writing _It Started with Lilacs_—ever since I thought up Mathias' background. And now, you can finally read it. Enjoy the climax! I hope it meets with _your_ expectations.

**Divine Expectations  
**Divine Expectations  
_Written by: Jazlynn_

I never thought that I would be reunited with Subaru so quickly. The last time I saw him, a ship was carrying him away from me so that he could go off somewhere else to do research. I never expected him to show up in a town where a majority of vampires lived. Yet, somehow, that didn't matter to me. What mattered to me was the fact that he was here sleeping in my arms in my hotel room.

I held him to me tightly as we lay on that bed, never wanting to let him go. I softly stroked his fluffy blonde hair as I rested my forehead against his. His strong arms encircled me as he slept, unknowingly keeping me close to him as well. Right now, I was the happiest being in the world. There was nothing that could break my ecstasy. Not even Mirada who was sitting in a chair by the large window who watched me curiously. I had been waiting for her to speak to me but, she said nothing. She just sat there, contemplating my closeness to Subaru.

After a while, she finally broke the silence that had enveloped the room. "I never realized that you would fall so desperately in love with someone after Mathias left."

I glanced over at her and hummed softly, my tone somewhat somber. "Well, I've gone so long without Mathias around that I feel as if I've gone back to living my normal life. I probably would have fallen in love with Subaru whether I had met Mathias or not."

Miranda nodded in understanding. "He really seems to fit with you."

"He does." I agreed while glancing down at Subaru's angelic face. "I feel like I'm _whole_ with him—even if there are so many things working against us."

Miranda went quiet for a while before speaking up again. "Do you feel as if Mathias is one of those things?"

I felt torn when she asked me that. I knew that it was true. Mathias was one of the aspects working against my relationship with Subaru. As much as I wanted to be with Subaru, there was still a part of me that wanted to be with Mathias. I wanted to be with both of them. I had no idea as to how this would work out.

I sighed before telling Miranda all of my thoughts and feelings about the situation. "Yes, Mathias _is_ one of the aspects working against us. I don't know exactly how I'm supposed to figure this out. I want to be with Subaru so much but… I still want to be with Mathias as well. And then there's the matter of my immortality. If I'm immortal, it would make more sense if I were to be with Mathias. Besides, I don't think Mathias would want to let me go when he returns."

A look of shock crossed Miranda's face as I said this. Did I miss something? "Oh, Lady Caren, I really don't think that to be true. There's so much more to Mathias than you know. He isn't some self-absorbed vampire who likes to keep what he thinks belongs to him. He understands that he interfered with your life by turning you and knows that he should never have been around in this time in order _to_ turn you."

I looked at her skeptically. "So, you think that he'd just willingly give me away after all he's supposedly done to save my life?"

"Well…" Miranda paused to think. "I'm not entirely sure. Selfishness isn't really a huge trait of Mathias'. Yes, he can set his eyes on something and want to possess it but, that doesn't always mean that he wants to keep it forever—not that I'm referring to you as something that can just be thrown out. What I'm trying to say is, you have a choice in your life and Mathias will most likely respect any decisions that you make."

"I see…" I said quietly while trailing off.

I looked back down at Subaru and then I glanced over at Noel who was still sound asleep. Would I still be able to live a normal life? No, not completely. Subaru and Noel would grow old whereas I would remain eighteen for the rest of my life… which was eternity.

The room grew silent once again as I was lost in thought, pondering everything that Miranda had said to me. I had created a tangled mess by falling in love with Subaru. As I looked down at the fluffy haired man, I let out a soft sigh. Then, I heard Miranda gasp in surprise at something. I paid her no mind as I heard her get up off her chair. When I did pay attention to her, it was because she was taking something out of my bag. I glanced up at her to find that she held Rose's diary. She was looking at it with awe, tracing over the embroidered jewels with her fingers before opening it and flipping through the delicate pages. She looked up at me with a stunned expression.

"Where did you find this?" She asked, still slightly surprised. I also heard the hint of fear that was in her voice.

"I found it in Antarctica." I replied slowly, unsure of what she knew of the diary.

"In Antarctica?" She repeated in disbelief while looking back down at the pages. "How on Earth…?"

"What?" I pressed. "What's wrong?"

Miranda looked back up at me. "This book has been in Mathias' possession for over a thousand years and roughly about a month ago, it just disappeared. How exactly did you come across it?"

"Well…" I tried to think back to the night I first met Subaru. I remembered the terrifying experience that I had had in the ruins and I figured that I may as well come clean about the incident. "After I rescued my sister, I found that my life no longer had a purpose. I felt lost. Then, one of my servants demanded that I go do something instead of just lifelessly lie about in my room. So, I went to the surface and I met Subaru. He offered me a place to stay and I decided to do so. However, when I discovered that I was compelled to kill him, I figured that I'd go out to hunt. I found some prey but, due to the creature's persistency, I was covered in blood. So, I broke a hole in the ice and jumped into the water to clean myself off. I found the ruins of a palace there. I went to check it out and that's where I found the diary."

Miranda listened intently to what I said, her eyes understanding yet, still somewhat panicked. "Did you read it?"

"No." I lied, amazed how honest my tone sounded. "It would be disrespectful, wouldn't it?"

Miranda nodded. "That it would. Then again, most vampires aren't very respectful and they act impulsively."

Her eyes left the pages of the book then and she looked at me with an expression that read 'I know you're lying and you're not going to fool me.' I had been caught. However, Miranda didn't say much before she looked back down at the pages. She flipped through a few of them with a look of confusion on her face. I didn't know why she was confused. However, it looked like she was about to say something so, I listened intently.

"Lady Caren…" she started. "About how far into this did you get? What was happening the last time you read it?"

I thought hard on this, trying to remember the last thing I read. I thought back to the train ride after I had spoken with Miranda. "Well… it was the fifth of January in the year 1000. The Mermaid Princess was beginning to hate her fiancé and she was becoming infatuated with his cousin."

Miranda hummed in response, thoughtful and pensive. "And, when you were reading it, were there no names to go along with the people she described?"

"No." I answered, truthfully this time. Of course, I wasn't going to tell her that it changed after that one incident with the Black Beauty Sisters.

Miranda sighed and set the book down on a desk in the room. "That is very strange…"

"What is?" I asked, wondering what about the diary was bothering her.

She looked at me, a confused look still present in her eyes. "There were names in this book before and now they've all changed. I've already read it and so I know who the book is referring to but, it's as if it'd never been written that way originally."

This fact bothered me. Why was Rose doing this? What was her purpose in backing up my omitted truth? What was she gaining out of this? Perhaps she didn't want Miranda to know that I knew of Mathias' past. Or was she setting up for some great plan that she had that involved my immortal soul?

Neither Miranda nor I said anything for a long time. I found myself distracted by the room again, looking closely at the weaving of the silk comforter and the intricate lace that hung around me. The room was looking different to me somehow. It seemed… lighter. I didn't know why until I looked to the window. The night sky was paling as it slowly turned to blue. The night had already come and gone, the new day fast approaching—the day when I was to be reunited with Mathias. I felt my stomach knot just thinking about it.

The sound of my sister stirring in her bed distracted me and I looked over to find her groggily sitting up. She seemed very dazed and confused about where she was for a moment. She looked around the room, her eyes stopping on Miranda. She gasped and then glanced over to me holding Subaru in my arms. She seemed very confused by this and I could see thousands of questions in her mind.

"What… Caren? What happened last night?" She asked, still seeming rather dazed. "And who are they?"

I looked at her calmly to make sure that she knew I had everything under control. "Well, last night, you fell asleep and I went to go hunt. Then, I ran into these two."

I looked over at Miranda and then glanced down at Subaru who was beginning to stir as well. I looked back over at Noel. "Miranda, over there, saved me from getting attacked by another vampire and Subaru, here, got caught up in the middle of it. I've told you about both of them, remember?"

"Well…" Noel took a moment to think about things. Then, her face lit up with realization. "Oh! Yes, I remember now!"

Miranda looked over at me. "She knows?"

"Yes." I replied, already knowing that Miranda had been referring to _everything_ that had happened that she was aware of.

"So, you told her about everything?" Miranda asked, trying to press the matter.

"Yes." I replied once again. "She read Mathias' letter over my shoulder so, I had to tell her."

"And it wasn't only that." Noel quickly piped in as if she were trying to defend me. "In all honesty, I had actually heard about vampires before and knew that they were real. I just didn't know that Caren had been affected by it."

Miranda looked over at Noel curiously. "How did you find out then? Did someone tell you?"

Noel nodded and I found myself quite surprised. She already knew. She knew that vampires were real before I had told her and before she had read the letter. Was that the reason why she was so calm when she realized what I had become? I was now quite curious about how my sister would answer Miranda's question. I listened intently as my sister answered.

"Well," she started softly. "It was about a year ago and I happened across a man who seemed to figure out what I was right away. He warned me that Europe wasn't a safe place for me and that I should stay in the sea. He then warned me that if a normal vampire found me, my life would be in great danger. And so, I took his advice and went back into the sea."

Noel went quiet for a moment before she added onto her statement with a more cynical tone. "Ironically, it was right after I returned to the sea that my kingdom was destroyed and when I sacrificed myself to Gaito in order to save Rina."

"Oh my gosh…" I said, somewhat shocked by my sister's story. "So, had you not met this stranger who told you about vampires, the fate of the sea might have been completely different."

Apparently Miranda wasn't concerned with my imaginings of a different world. "This stranger was completely right about you being in danger. It's for the same reason why Caren is in so much danger right now just for being in this town. And speaking of which, we need to be going soon. It's dangerous to stay in one spot for too long."

"Are vampires going to come after Caren?"

I almost jumped when I heard Subaru speak. He pulled himself up to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around me tightly. I found myself cuddling close to him as he did this. I felt safer that way. I liked being in his arms.

Miranda's attention came back to Subaru and I. "Perhaps. It all depends on how we figure this situation out. If we stay in this town for too long, servants of Demetrius—Mathias' father—will realize who Caren is and what she has become and will see to it that she is… killed. However, Mathias is returning at some point today and I have no doubt that he will do everything in his power to make Caren safe. We just need to wait for him to come."

"Well, in that case…" Subaru paused for a moment before looking down at me. "I will do anything I can to protect Caren until Mathias comes. I may only be human but… I'm not just going to stand by and let creatures that supposedly don't exist come to kill her."

I heard the sheer truth in Subaru's voice as he spoke and I felt him pull me closer to him. Subaru truly loved me. He was going to fight vampires for me if he had to. I found myself surprised at how devoted he was that he would protect me. In Antarctica, I had never seen this side of him. It only made me want to be with him all the more. I glanced over to Miranda, wondering what her reaction would be. She seemed contemplative as if Subaru's statement had her thinking greatly over something.

"Well now…" She replied in wonderment. "You seem to be willing to go the distance for her. It certainly sounds as if you would back up your words in an instant. I don't think that anything Mathias could say would ever match up to that."

Miranda looked to me then. "I think that Mathias will have no choice but to let you go. He can't possibly be in love with you as much as it seems Subaru does."

"But didn't Mathias leave Caren in order to protect her?" Noel asked, not wanting to be ignored in this conversation.

"Aye, that he did." Miranda replied. "However, in my knowledge, he's never said that he would do _anything_ to protect her. I don't really know how to explain it right but… it seems more like Mathias _wants_ to protect Caren. The way that Subaru said it, it seemed more like a _need_."

An eerie silence came over the room as Miranda's words sank in. Did that mean that Mathias wouldn't care if I ended up dead? No… that couldn't be… He loved me, right? But what about Rose? He loved her before he ever loved me. Did that mean he had sworn the same oath Subaru had but that he had failed to protect the one he felt he _needed_ to protect? I felt more confused than I had before. It was amazing how something that occurred over a thousand years ago could have had such an impact on the present time.

A long sigh escaped my sister's lips, pulling all attention over to her. She slipped off the side of the bed and then looked at us all as she walked into the middle of the room.

"Well," she started as if she had become frustrated. "Personally, I think it's far too early in the morning to be dwelling on these thoughts. I don't know about the rest of you but, I'd rather put off this topic until Mathias actually gets here. Then, we can figure this whole thing out about who loves my sister more and who she is happy with. But right now, I'm going down to the lobby to get something to eat."

Noel glanced over at me and smiled before grabbing a keycard and leaving the room. I blinked a few times in confusion as she left and I tried to think through her actions. I figured that she had planned out that whole little speech. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have given me the smile that she did. Another sigh distracted me and I looked over to Miranda.

"She's right, you know." She said softly while looking at me. "I'll go see to it that your sister remains safe."

Before I knew it, Miranda had left the room as well, leaving me alone with Subaru. I looked up at him and he looked down at me—both of us slightly confused from what just happened. We looked at each other for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

"I get the feeling that your sister and your friend don't like me." He stated in a joking manor.

I giggled. "Oh, they're fine. I think it was Miranda's comment that did this."

Subaru laughed softly at this but then his expression went thoughtful and serious. "You know, I was completely serious about what I said before… about wanting to protect you. I love you, Caren. If I had to, I would fight vampires for you. I would do absolutely _anything_ to keep you safe. And I don't even care about who this Mathias is—whether he was the vampire who turned you and thinks he loves you or not, I'm keeping you. I don't want to lose you. I mean… I don't want to say that I can't live without you, because I could, I just… I would feel so lost and confused without you in my life."

As Subaru told me this, I gently pulled away from him with a smile on my face. "You really mean it?"

He nodded, softly running a hand through my dark locks of hair. "I do, Caren. I've had two girlfriends before I met you and I've never felt this strongly about them as I do you."

I hummed in response and cuddled up close to Subaru once more. "You know, I thought I felt that way about Mathias after he turned me. I was infatuated with him because he seemed to care about me so much. But now, I'm beginning to think that he only turned me because he wanted another chance at his life from 1000 years ago. I still care about him but… I find that I no longer want to be with him as much as I want to be with you."

Subaru smiled at my response but became pensive once more. "But… who's to say that you won't be enthralled with him again when he comes back? Who's to say that you won't fall in love with him all over again and just forget about me? I'm only human, after all."

I silenced Subaru by pressing my lips against his. I pulled myself closer to him, running my fingers through his fluffy blonde hair. I gently pulled away from him for a moment before looking deeply into his blue eyes. "Subaru, I _want_ to be with you. I feel _complete_ when I'm with you."

I kissed Subaru more passionately this time, pressing myself close to him, and he responded to my actions. He held me tightly, deepening the kiss I had started, moving his hands up and down my back. My lips parted and I breathed in Subaru's sunshiny scent from his mouth as his lips moved with mine. I felt his tongue slip into my mouth and I welcomed his gesture letting my own tongue meet his. The way he tasted drove my senses wild. Suddenly, I wanted him. I desired him. I _needed_ him. However, it wasn't how a regular vampire would want a human. My desires were completely physical and I wished to comply with what my body wanted. I rolled over to the side, pulling Subaru on top of me. He moved his mouth away from mine and he gently began to cover my neck in kisses as his hands slid under the lavender shirt I was wearing. I searched the front of Subaru's white shirt for the buttons that held it together at the front. I began to undo the buttons, softly giggling as Subaru continued to kiss me.

And then I froze.

My body ceased moving as if it had become ice. The only part of me that moved were my golden eyes as they darted around the room, searching for some unknown presence. Subaru stopped kissing me and pulled back to look at me as worry crossed his face.

"Caren, what's wrong?" He asked softly.

I didn't answer him right away but I continued to look around the room. Something wasn't right. Something wasn't right at all. However, I couldn't find anything wrong with the room. I felt edgy as my eyes kept darting around. I tried to pull myself closer to Subaru, wanting that feeling of safety again.

"Subaru…" I murmured softly, fear seeping into my voice. "Something is wrong. I feel like someone is… like someone is _watching_ us."

Subaru's arms tightened around me and he pulled me close to him. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

"I know…" I replied softly, feeling comforted by Subaru's words. "But, just to be safe, I think we should go down into the lobby now."

"Alright then," he murmured softly while sliding off of me.

Once he was standing up, he extended his hand for me to take. I reached out to take his hand and he then pulled me up off the bed and into his arms. He embraced me tightly and, had that feeling of unease not been present, I would have kissed him. He pulled me away from the bed and seized the second keycard off the desk. He then pulled me over to the door and we made our exit. Although I was upset about leaving that bed, I was glad that I no longer felt as if I was in danger.

We walked down the hallway together, hand in hand with smiles on our faces. I barely heard the piano playing in the lobby but, I recognized Taro's music. He was playing again. It was a song that I hadn't heard before. The melody almost reminded me of Hanon. It was probably the song he had written for her. The song became more prominent as Subaru and I neared the staircase and elevator shaft.

My attention was quickly distracted from the music as Subaru pushed the button for the elevator. He looked at me and smiled and I could tell that I was smiling too. When the elevator door opened, I gladly followed Subaru inside. I found myself forcing Subaru into one of the corners before pressing myself against him and kissing him. His hands found mine and our fingers intertwined. I gently pulled my lips away from Subaru's and I buried my face into his chest. I felt him resting his chin on my head and I couldn't help but smile. To me, it seemed as if I fit well in his arms. And I did.

When the elevator stopped, I unwillingly pulled away from him. As the door began to open, I noted that half of Subaru's shirt was still unbuttoned from earlier. I gasped and reached out to button them up again. Subaru laughed at my actions before he decided to help me out. Although I couldn't blush, I knew that Subaru was aware of my embarrassment. My face didn't need to be completely flushed with colour for him to know.

As I reached for the last button I recalled being done up, Subaru took my hands away from his shirt. "I think I look decent enough now. Let's go."

I frowned at his overly cheerful and mocking face as I continued to reach for the button. "You won't be decent in Miranda's eyes. She'll notice and then _you're_ gonna be in trouble."

"Alright, then. You know best, I suppose." He replied while softly laughing at me. However, he allowed me to fix his button and that made me happy.

We walked out into the lobby and Taro's music found its way to my ears again. The song was different now and it had a more jazzy feel to it. I recognized the melody as 'Cry Me a River'. An almost smug smile crossed my face as I was reminded of Mathias. He would have to cry me a river in order to come back to me but, I wanted to be with Subaru and there was nothing that he would be able to do about it.

I looked over to one of the couches surrounding the platform and found my sister with a wide grin across her face as she sat on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hands. I wondered why she was smiling like that considering the fact that she had yet to see me enter. I looked at Miranda who was sitting in the seat next to her, her golden eyes transfixed on Taro as he played the piano. I could see wonder, awe and adoration in her eyes and I felt a huge grin flash across my face. Now I understood.

Subaru and I approached the circle of chairs and took a seat on a couch beside the one Noel was sitting on. She looked over at us and mouthed the word 'hello' before she turned her attention back to Taro. Miranda took no notice of me while she watched Taro, lost in his music. I had to restrain a laugh.

The song Taro was playing finished and he stood up, signaling that he was done playing for now. He turned to leave and, when he found the audience he had attracted, a look of shock crossed his face.

"Caren, Noel! Good morning." A smile crossed his face as he acknowledged us.

"Morning!" I chirped back.

"Good morning, indeed." Noel echoed suggestively while moving over to the side of the couch closer to me. Her navy eyes fell upon me and I could see the deviousness in them. "Caren, how come your hair is messier since the last time I saw you?"

My eyes widened in shock as she said this. Did she really assume… Oh no. No, no, no! She would never let me live this down even though I _hadn't_ actually slept with Subaru. I couldn't patch this up! She knew what had _almost_ occurred! Then, I heard Subaru speak up.

"This is why her hair is like that." He replied quickly.

I didn't understand his meaning until it was too late. Subaru ruffled my hair and I gasped. My jaw dropped and I gave Subaru an accusing glare. He merely smiled that goofy smile of his at me. Although my hair had to suffer, he had saved me there.

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot." I said through my teeth while trying to smooth my hair. I heard Taro chuckling and I glanced up at him.

"Is he a friend of yours, Caren?" He asked, rather amused by the situation.

"Yeah," I said while breathing out a mocking sigh of aggravation. I turned to Subaru and lightly shoved his shoulder. "He's my mean boyfriend who likes to tease me."

Noel cut in and turned Taro's attention over to Miranda. "And this is our friend, Miranda. She lives in this town."

Taro smiled warmly at Miranda and extended his hand to her. "I'm Taro Mitsuki. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miranda."

Miranda snapped out of her daze momentarily to shake his hand. Breathlessly, she replied, "The pleasure is all mine. It is an honor to meet a musician as accomplished as you."

Subaru, Noel and I all exchanged devious smiles as the two introduced themselves. It was far too much fun to play matchmaker. However, there was nothing more that any of us could think of to help any kind of spark between Miranda and Taro along. I quickly searched my mind for something to use. Then, I thought of something.

"Hey, Miranda, is there any place in this town that serves amazing breakfast foods? I'm kinda hungry. And perhaps Taro might want to see the city as well. I'm sure that you know lots about it since you live here."

Miranda's eyes lit up as I made this suggestion. "Oh, yes! Yes, yes, of course! I know of a place that's really good. We can all go there! Taro, you'll come, won't you?"

"I would love to come." He replied, smiling at Miranda.

I didn't think that Miranda's eyes could light up anymore but, they did. Her excitement was clearly evident and I knew that she would do anything to make Taro happy. My only concern was whether or not Taro would live to be human another day. If Miranda really wanted him, all she had to do was bite him.

"Then let us not waste anymore time! Let's go, right now!" She exclaimed while taking Taro's hand and pulling him towards the door, motioning for us to follow her.

As soon as she and Taro were out the door, Subaru, Noel and I burst out into a fit of laughter. The sound echoed throughout the high ceilings and came back to hit us, full force. We didn't even realize how loud it was until a receptionist 'shhh'ed us. We managed to contain our laughter but the smiles never left our faces. As soon as we were outside of the hotel, we burst out laughing again. Miranda and Taro looked back at us from where they were and we tried to compose ourselves. As we started walking over to Miranda and Taro, Subaru looked over at me.

"Well," he said. "That was thoroughly the most amusing thing that has happened all day."

I giggled and latched my arm around Subaru's. I looked up at him with a smile. "Most definitely."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

True to Miranda's word, she brought us to a café right near the heart of the town. We were all sitting at a white table outside of the café, eating the different breakfasts that we ordered. Although, eating may not have been an appropriate word since no one really was at the moment. Miranda kept Taro busy by asking him questions about his life and telling him things about hers. Noel was bordly stirring her coffee, most likely becoming tired of hearing Miranda talking animatedly beside her. I was taking a bite of a piece of toast and was constantly glancing over at the cathedral a few blocks down and Subaru… he wouldn't take his blue eyes off me.

I looked at him and smiled as I took a sip of my hot chocolate. I looked down at the drink with a frown and looked back at Subaru. "You know, I think I prefer your crappy hot chocolate."

Subaru laughed and ruffled my hair. I glared at him for messing up my hair again and I tried to smooth it down. Subaru just smiled at me before replying. "So, you prefer cheap hot chocolate over the fancy kind where they actually use real chocolate?"

I paused for a moment to think on this. "Yes."

"It's amusing that a princess thinks that way." Noel stated, jumping into my conversation with Subaru.

"Yeah, but it's true." I retorted, taking another sip of the hot chocolate that I didn't particularly like.

Subaru cocked his head to the side. "So you're still drinking it?"

I looked over at him and answered simply, "Yes."

Noel laughed and Subaru just gave me a smile that said 'I really don't understand you'. I put the hot chocolate down and folded my arms over my chest, pretending to be stern.

"Now, now, I know that Miranda has an endless supply of cash but, to not finish the drink would be rude." I explained, a smile beginning to break my expression.

I don't know why I did it but, I looked over to find that Miranda was completely oblivious to the conversation between Subaru, Noel and I. Subaru and Noel also glanced over at the two. They both smiled widely. Subaru was the next to speak up.

"So, do you think they would notice if we just upped and left?"

I grinned evilly. "Probably not."

Noel mirrored my evil smile and she stood up. Her chair dragged on the pavement and made a noise that would be offensive to any vampire's ears. I almost cringed because of it. However, Miranda and Taro were both oblivious to my sister's actions. With smiles on our faces, Subaru and I also stood up. Trying not to laugh, the three of us wandered away from Miranda and Taro. Once we were far enough away, the three of us burst out laughing once again. This was all too amusing!

"I can't believe they didn't notice us!" I exclaimed through laughter.

"I know!" Noel replied, a smile permanently plastered on her face. "That was _priceless_!"

"So what do we do now?" Subaru inquired while glancing around the street.

Noel and I also looked around in search for some place to go. As my eyes searched the street, something caught my attention. It was a small shop that sold different trinkets, statues and all sorts of medieval things. I felt drawn to it and I wanted to see what was inside.

"How about we go in there?" I asked while pointing to the shop.

Noel was already on her way to the shop as soon as I pointed to it. Subaru took my hand and smiled at me. "Alright. It seems like a pretty cool place. Besides, I think your sister already decided to go in there."

"I guess she has." I replied while watching my sister enter the shop.

Subaru and I followed her and entered the store. As soon as I opened the door, I was welcomed by many different scents. I could smell roses, lavender, fire, and the ocean. There were many different scents but, those were the ones I noticed right away. As I looked around, I found a shelf that contained many different kinds of incense. Sure enough, a few of the labels depicted the scents I had been able to pick out.

I wandered away from Subaru, wanting to look around the shop by myself. There were many figurines of dragons and dark angels holding roses. There was even a garden statue of a man sitting on a throne of dead bodies. I found that rather disturbing—even though I was a vampire. Whoever carved the statue made sure to put bloodlust in the man's eyes. Perhaps the statue _was_ of a vampire. I was almost certain that it was. As far as I knew, vampires had sick humor and would definitely make something like that.

Wandering away from the statue, I came across another ornament hanging from the wall. My eyes widened in shock and horror at what I saw. Suddenly, I wanted out of this store. I wanted to run back to Miranda and hide in her embrace like a little child. What my eyes beheld was the most horrific, most offensive thing I had ever seen in my life. About the size of a medieval shield, a cross hung on the wall. It was carved with much care and was covered in intricate designs that I recalled seeing in the ruins in the Antarctic Ocean. However, the cross wasn't what offended me. What offended me and scared me to death was the woman that was bound to the cross. She appeared to be human and was clothed in beautiful garments that looked akin to what a Greek Goddess might wear. Her hair was loosely braided and fell over her right shoulder. A familiar looking pendant hung around her neck and I felt inclined to clutch the one that hung around mine. Emerald vines twisted around the cross and the woman and amethyst lilacs adorned those vines. Diamonds were mixed with the amethysts to give the blossoms a frozen look. The flowers reminded me of Rose's diary. The woman on the cross reminded me of me.

My body began to tremble and I began breathing quickly. I couldn't comprehend what was going on anymore. I felt as if I was in a trance that didn't allow me to think or act of my own accord and didn't let me know what I was doing. The next thing I knew, I was out in the street with Noel and Subaru chasing after me, calling out my name. I slowed to a stop and then I felt Subaru embracing me tightly. I buried my face into his chest and began to whimper out of fear and helplessness. I think I heard my sister trying to talk to me but I couldn't grasp any of the words she said. Everything that Noel and Subaru were trying to say to me sounded like gibberish.

Then, I felt my chin being lifted and I felt Subaru's lips against my own. I slid my arms around his neck, welcoming his gesture as it brought me unmatchable comfort. I pulled myself closer to him and his arms tightened around me. Slowly becoming aware of the things going on around me, I pulled my lips away from Subaru's, allowing him to breathe. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, trying to collect my thoughts. Slowly, my eyes flickered back open and I gazed out at the street behind Subaru. There were humans and vampires—mostly vampires—that lined the streets, most of them staring at me. The cathedral stood mightily in the background, giving the sight a more surreal look. However, my eyes connected with another pair of golden eyes and I was shocked once again. Standing in the middle of the street, looking hurt and betrayed, was Mathias.

I pulled away from Subaru and I just stood there, looking at him. He looked really different somehow but, that didn't matter. What mattered was that he had seen me kissing Subaru when he had done so much for me because he loved me. And now, I had hurt him. I had hurt him more than he could have ever hurt me. Both Subaru and Noel turned to look over at him and then he fled.

All of a sudden, I felt something snap within me and I was running towards Mathias as fast as I could. I tried to keep him within my sight as I ran. I was able to see him as clear as day but then, he disappeared within the cathedral. I followed after him. I ran up the steps of the large church and as I was about to pass through the doors, I heard Mathias' voice calling out from _behind_ me.

"Caren, NO!"

His voice sounded so agonized, so afraid that I felt myself turn to the sound of his voice. He was running up the steps of the cathedral, his appearance exactly how I remembered and possessed none of the differences I had noted earlier. He reached out to me and I reached out to him but, I felt myself being forcefully pulled back into the cathedral, the large doors slamming closed, blocking Mathias from me. My head hit the ground and I heard the marble crack beneath it. I heard Mathias forcefully hit the door and he cursed loudly. Then, I heard his voice as clearly as if he was right beside me.

"Demon! If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I'll kill you!"

I tried to sit up and I rubbed the back of my head with my hand. When I looked at my hand, my eyes widened with shock. My hand was coated with a silvery liquid. I didn't know what it was. Was I really bleeding? Was this silvery substance _my blood_? I felt my body begin to shake. I couldn't move other than tremble. When my mouth opened, no words came out. And then, I felt someone harshly picking me up. This time, I managed to scream loudly. I heard Mathias calling out my name in a frenzy and I thrashed about in an attempt to get away from the strong arms that held me. I was being brought away from the door and I didn't like that at all. I continued to thrash about and scream and I was amazed that I was able to hear Subaru and Noel calling me from the other side of the door.

"Mathias, Subaru, Noel, save me!" I screamed out.

I felt myself being flung down onto a pew and I tried to get up to get away. I thought it would be easy to do since I was a vampire but, I guess that didn't mean anything now. I felt a hand seize my hair and I felt my head being yanked back. I let out another shrill scream as my attacker attempted to rip my hair out of my head. I felt his lips by my ear then and I continued to try and get away from him.

"What is it about your kind that makes you so special?" He hissed venomously. "What is it about you Antarctic Princesses that makes my son desire more than anything else?"

I couldn't answer. My mind was reeling and I was having a difficult time trying to figure things out. My captor must've disliked my silence for he smashed my head against the back of the pew. I screamed again as the part of my head that had hit the marble came in contact with the hard oak. My scream turned into a whimper and I felt my attacker leave me. I couldn't move. Fear had paralyzed me. And then, I heard an organ playing a dark melody.

A haze of black surrounded my body and I felt myself being lifted off the pew. I was forced to look at the front of the chapel where my attacker was calming playing the organ, his golden eyes looking over his shoulder at me. I knew who this man was. I had seen him before when I was at the Pearl Piari. I had seen him in Rose's vision. I had heard the words he spoke earlier. This was Demetrius—Mathias' father.

He smiled wickedly and smashed his hands down on the keys of the organ. Without warning, I was flung up into the air and collided with the high arched ceiling of the cathedral. I hit it with such impact that the whole building shook. The breath was knocked out of me and I didn't have time to scream before I shot down towards the floor. I crashed into the pews beneath me and such pain surged through me that I couldn't register what had just happened. Then, I let out such an agonized scream that I thought I was dying right then and there. My scream was echoed by laughter and I felt absolutely sick to my stomach. The dark song continued and I then felt by body being dragged through the broken pews towards the front of the church. I cringed, whimpering as pain surged through my body. Then, the pull on me became stronger and I was dragged towards a set of three stairs. I shut my eyes tightly and cringed as I crashed into them. It hurt like hell as I was dragged up them. Then, my body was lifted once more and I was flung harshly onto a stone alter. I screamed out once more as I made contact with the stone. The impact was so strong that I began coughing. More of that silvery substance was coming out of my mouth and now, I was almost to certain that it was my blood.

Demetrius laughed loudly as he left his organ to stand over my crippled body. "You know, I've always found the blood of your _filthy_ kind beautiful. When a creature that is not human becomes a vampire, they blood turns silver instead of the black that was originally intended."

I couldn't really comprehend what he was saying to me. I was in far too much pain. However, I was aware when Demetrius bit into his wrist and allowed his black blood to drip onto my figure. His blood looked like oil, like ink. Drops of it fell upon my face and this seemed to make Demetrius laugh. His face fell upon my face and he smeared the blank substance around on my left cheek. I shied away from his cold touch but he just smiled even more.

"Did you know that Mathias was in love with a Mermaid Princess long, long ago?" He inquired, his hand clenching around my hair once more to pull my face up close to his. "Her name was Rosephanye. She was quite in love with him as well. They were going to get married. However, Mathias became sick and I had to save him. He still wanted to be with her after that and so, he would have to turn her. I could not allow that to happen. And so, I tricked her into meeting with me. Then, I killed her. I had her nailed to a cross so that she would have to die in the worst way possible. And do you want to know the funny part about her death?"

I felt absolutely sick as Demetrius described Rose's death to me. After reading her diary and knowing what her life was like, I felt as if I personally knew her. Besides, she was one of my predecessors. I truly didn't want to hear more of what this demented vampire had to say. However, my throat was filled with blood and I could not speak. Demetrius continued to speak.

"I convinced Mathias that poor little Rosie's advisors had forbidden her love for him and that, in her grief, she killed herself. Oh, how Mathias was incensed! In his rage, he tore down to her kingdom and slaughtered all of the mermaids there. I must say, after he returned, he seemed a broken man… like life no longer mattered to him. He would spend every day and every night praying for God to forgive him. It's just sad that he doesn't know who God really is."

I glared at Demetrius as he spoke of this. I wanted to tear his throat out. I wanted to nail _him_ to a cross and make _him_ suffer. I coughed the blood up that was in my throat and I attempted to sit up. Pain surged through me and I had to let myself fall back down. Demetrius smiled and wandered away from me before coming back with a silver object in his hand.

"In truth, I am God. I could easily forgive him if he just asked for forgiveness. And now, I will forgive you for what you are because I know that you must not have had the choice." Then, he tilted the metal object and clear water poured down on me. I could feel the dark blood being washed off my body as I changed into my mermaid form. My pain wasn't as great anymore but I was still deathly afraid. Demetrius dropped the silver bowl and knelt beside the alter to look down on my exposed form. "All you have to do is serve me and only me for the rest of your eternal life."

"No." My, now violet, eyes narrowed at the vampire as I venomously uttered the same phrase that his wife told him over a thousand years ago. "I will not worship a false God."

I watched as rage spread through Demetrius' body. He began to shake and I suddenly felt very scared. However, I wasn't going to give into him. I wouldn't let him have what he wanted. He wanted me to succumb to him. I wasn't going to let that happen. The tactic worked with Mathias so, maybe I could save myself by using it now.

Demetrius' hand wove through my hair once again and he sharply lifted my off the alter. I screamed as I grabbed his hand, trying to lessen the pain from his grip. I was flung at the organ and a discord of notes sounded when I made contact with the keys. I gasped as the ivory keys dug into my skin as they shattered. I disliked being forcefully thrown around like this. I could feel blood oozing from my back where the broken keys of the organ sunk into my skin. My eyes shot open and I watched in horror as Demetrius threw Rose's diary at me. I didn't know how he had gotten it or when but I knew that he was about to make some remark about it now.

"Did she write that in this godforsaken tome of hers?" He screamed out angrily. His voice made me cringe. "Has she been warning you about me through the pages of this book?"

I was frozen by fear once more and, in his incensed state, he drew a dagger from his clothes and stabbed me. The blade sliced into my tail and ran down my scales as if it were air. I screamed out loudly as a silver stream of blood began to flow from the cut. The sheer sound of it amazed me because it sounded as if glass was shattering as my voice echoed throughout the cathedral. Little pieces of coloured glass began to rain down around Demetrius and I and both of us looked up.

Where once a magnificent, circular, stained glass window shined brightly with the light of the sun, Mathias fell gracefully towards me in a rainbow of shattered glass. A smile spread across my agonized face when I saw him. He had come to save my life.

He landed on the organ, causing it to break even more. He crouched low, his body completely rigid as he glared daggers at the vampire who'd tried to kill me. I attempted to reach out to him, to touch his face. He didn't move as my fingers gently grazed his cheek. A genuine smile played on my lips as I touched him. He was real. He was here within my reach. It was as if he'd never been gone. Mathias looked at me and his expression softened. He lifted his arm so that he could run his hand through my long tresses of violet hair.

For a moment, it seemed as if Mathias were going to lean forward and kiss me but, as a single step resounded through the cathedral, Mathias went rigid again, a loud hiss escaping his lips. His eyes flashed over to his father in sheer anger before he took me up into his arms. I buried my face into his chest, relishing in his scent while I could. The broken organ alerted me as Mathias moved from where he stood, stepping on the broken keys as he jumped off the destroyed instrument. Swiftly, he brought me over to a corner and set me down before he turned to charge at his father.

I watched in horror as the two vampires collided. I wanted to help Mathias desperately. I wanted to help kill the man who had caused him so much grief in his life. However, I was paralyzed by my own pain and was in my mermaid form. I was completely useless at the moment. My eyes tried to follow the movements of both vampires but my vision was hazy. I blinked repeatedly, trying to figure out who was winning. I could only make out blurs—not a good thing considering that I was a half vampire. I tried focusing harder but then...

Mathias let out a hiss of pain as he was thrown back onto the stairs. I gasped and, as I looked at his figure, saw that he was losing the battle. The black shirt he was wearing was torn and his pale skin was stained with blood—black blood. He clutched his arms tightly but I had already seen the deep cut that had been made at some point.

"Ungrateful son..." Demetrius muttered. His gold eyes narrowed and became an angry blood red colour. "I'll see to it that you never disobey me again!"

Time slowed as I watched the events around me unfold. My eyes widened in horror as I watched Demetrius lunge towards Mathias. I turned to look at Mathias, a look of helplessness, despair, and agony vividly expressed on his perfect face. I opened my mouth and screamed out his name, hoping—_praying_ that somehow, he would be spared.

Two feminine voices resonated throughout the cathedral. I recognized the one as my own but, the other; it was completely foreign to me. Mathias gasped and his father stopped dead in his tracks. I too, found myself stunned by the voice. The tone matched mine exactly. It was full of fear and worry for Mathias' life. Judging by both Mathias' and Demetrius' reactions, I was certain that it was Rose. But how? How had she been able to call out to Mathias when she'd been dead for over a thousand years?

_It is because I live in you._

A bright light enveloped the cathedral and I managed to glance once over the Rose's diary before it faded into white as well. Ethereal lavender light had been emitting from the worn pages of the book. Then, I felt a warm light enshroud my body. That same lavender colour surrounded me, my pearl being its source. I felt my body shifting once more. My tail split into two legs and my body was clothed in loose, white fabric. My hair braided itself loosely, lilacs becoming entwined in my violet locks. When the light died down, I was able to fully observe myself. I was in my diva form yet, this wasn't my normal attire. Instead of the tiny dress I usually wore, I was clothed in fine white, linen robes lined with silver. The straps hung from my shoulders, meeting at the middle of my chest in a 'v' shape, showing a lot of my mid chest. A fine silver rope was tied underneath my breasts, delicately zigzagging down my torso to my waist. The rope was tied off at my right hip and the rest of the string dangled at my side. The linen flowed down my legs like a waterfall, part of the dress raised on the left side to show my delicate legs. Silver sandals adorned my feet and more silver rope crisscrossed up to my knees to keep the shoes securely on my feet. Taking my mind of my dress and looking at my body, I found that it was distinctly mine yet, not. I was Rose—no—Rosephanye. I was both Rosephanye and myself; Purple Mermaid Princess of the Antarctic Ocean. And _I_ was going to save Mathias just as he saved me.

I walked forward, my steps light and graceful as glorious light surrounded me. Demetrius looked at me and, for the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. He was afraid of me. Not that I was surprised. He _should_ be afraid of me. He was the cause of all the horrible things that had happened to Mathias and me. It was time he paid for his mistake. I opened my mouth and Rosephanye's voice came soaring out.

"_Somehow I know I will find a way, to a brighter day, in the sun. Somewhere I know that he waits for me, someday soon he'll see, I'm the one. I won't give up on this feeling, and nothing could keep me away. 'Cause I still believe in destiny, that you and I were meant to be. I still wish on the stars as they fall from above, 'cause I still believe, believe in love."_

Demetrius seemed to recoil from my voice as if it stung him. I felt a boost in my confidence as I saw this. I could help defeat him. I could help defeat the vampire who considered himself to be a demigod. I took another step forward and continued to sing with Rose's voice.

"_I know what's real can not be denied, although it may hide for a while. With just one touch love can calm your fears, turning all your tears, into smiles. It's such a wondrous feeling; I know that my heart can't be wrong. 'Cause I still believe in destiny, that you and I were meant to be. I still wish on the stars as they fall from above, 'cause I still believe, believe in love."_

Mathias struggled to his feet as my song empowered him. I glanced over at me with a smile on his face—a smile so full of love and thankfulness that I almost didn't believe it was actually him. He loved me just as much as he loved Rose. I knew that now and I couldn't deny it no matter how hard I tried. I smiled back at him and continued to sing—continued to keep his father at bay as Mathias went to attack him.

"_Love can make miracles change everything, lift you from the darkness and make your heart sing. Love is forever, when you fall, it's the greatest power of all."_

Mathias and Demetrius fought once again. This time, it was Demetrius who was losing the fight. My eyes focused on Mathias' face the entire time. He seemed perfectly calm even when he was in mid-battle. His golden eyes were determined but they held no sense of bloodlust whatsoever. He merely wanted freedom and my safety. The next thing I knew, Demetrius was on the ground with a pew flipped on top of him. The evil vampire seemed immobilized by my voice and he was unable to move anymore. Then, Mathias was holding a lit match above the pew.

In a calm voice, he smiled and said, "Tell the devil to stop picking on mermaids else I'll come after him as well."

Then, the match was dropped onto the wooden pew. The wood slowly began to burn and Demetrius tried to struggle away from the blaze. His attempts went in vain as the clothes he wore caught fire. He let out an angry scream, cursing at Mathias the entire time. Mathias just stepped back to my side and watched as his father went up in flames. I was still singing and my voice became soft and slow.

"_Oh I still believe in destiny, that you and I were meant to be. I still wish on the stars as they fall from above, 'cause I still believe, believe in love. Yes I still believe, believe in love."_

I ceased to sing after that and I remained very quiet. The only sound that echoed through the cathedral was the crackling of the fire. Slowly, I turned my head to look at Mathias to find that his eyes were already upon me, thoughtful and pensive. I let out a bunch of air that had been within my lungs and I flung myself into his arms. He immediately embraced me, covering my face with kisses as he did so.

"Oh, Caren…" he murmured in a relieved voice. "I should have been here sooner. I'm so sorry."

I couldn't really count how many times he said sorry to me. He kept repeated the small phrase over and over again. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._ I gently pulled away from him and placed a hand on his cheek. I smiled at him and tears filled with relief and happiness fell down my face. "Oh, Mathias… you've no need to apologize. You saved my life."

Mathias pulled me close to him once again and pressed his lips against mine. He pulled away after a moment to gaze deeply into my violet eyes. "But had I been here sooner, he wouldn't have had the chance to hurt you. I could have spared you everything that he had done to you. I'm not deaf. I heard your screams as if I were in here as well."

"But the evil is gone now." I countered in a meek and grateful voice. "Neither of us will ever have to suffer again."

I leaned forward and kissed Mathias again. He held me tightly to him and I wrapped my arms around his neck, glad to find that I still fit perfectly in his arms. His glorious moonlight aroma intoxicated my senses as I breathed him in. My eyes flickered shut and I felt as if I were overcome by a numbing sense of peace. I felt as if my senses were fading, as if I was falling asleep. But that was impossible. It was impossible for me to sleep for even a short amount of time. I couldn't be falling asleep…

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

"_Caren?"_

My eyes flickered open and I was welcomed by a blinding light. What had happened? Where was I? Why couldn't I see?

"_Caren."_

I heard a feminine voice call out my name. I recognized the voice yet, I couldn't at the same time. For some reason, I felt as if the voice belonged to me but, that wasn't possible. This was definitely not my voice. I tried to search the vast whiteness for the voice yet couldn't quite find anything. I squinted and tried to look harder.

I heard a soft giggling and then, _"I'm right over here, Caren."_

Slowly, I turned my head to where I had heard the voice. At first, I saw the silhouette of a woman—just a black shadow contrasting against the white. Then, I could see colour appear to lighten her features. She was almost a mirrored reflection of myself. She looked exactly as I had when I sang to help Mathias. As her figure became apparent to me, I could see splashes of colour behind her. A vast canvas of blue and green surrounded us, the blue dotted by fluffy white splotches. The green was hardly visible as it was speckled by pinks and yellows and whites and all sorts of other colours. A warm breeze rustled my hair, blowing my bangs out of my face. Slowly, I stood up to gaze in awe at the sparkling meadow around me.

"Where am I?" I asked quietly, not sure whether I was addressing the woman or myself.

"_You stand on the brink of purgatory."_ She replied softly. _"I have brought you here so that I could speak to you."_

I looked over at the woman, still in awe. "You… you're Rose, aren't you?"

She nodded gently. _"I am."_

I found myself amazed by this. I was meeting face to face with my predecessor of a thousand years ago. This was the Mermaid Princess who had guided me throughout my vampiric life. She was the one who helped Mathias and I in our struggle with Demetrius. She was the Mermaid Princess who had originally been in love with Mathias.

"Why did you…?"

"_I brought you here to thank you."_ She explained thoughtfully. _"For a thousand years, I haven't been able to fully accept my fate. I still wanted to be alive. I wanted to bring to justice the cruelties that had been done unto me. But, most of all, I wanted Mathias' soul to be at peace. I wanted him to know the truth about my death. He still doesn't know. His father neglected to tell him. Can you tell him for me? I do not think I shall ever be at peace if he does not know."_

I nodded upon her request. "I will."

Rose closed her eyes and smiled. When she opened her eyes, she truly seemed as if she were happy. _"Thank you, Caren. This means more to me than you will ever know. And now, for your willingness to help me, I shall provide you with a very special gift. I shall grant you your happy ending. You deserve one after all that you've been through."_

After she finished speaking, she reached forward and touched my forehead. Warm lavender light emitted from her fingers and enveloped my body. The sensation of the light sent pleasant shivers up and down my spine. I could feel a distinct change in me. It was strange, really. I didn't know what was happening to me. Then, Rose removed her hand from my head and the light left me. I blinked a few times in confusion.

"_Your body demands your soul. I must return you now."_ She stated in an almost sad tone. _"I will continue to watch over you, Caren. Do not be alarmed at where your life goes. You must soon face a difficult choice. I promise, the answer will come to you and I mean that quite literally. Things will work out. And don't forget to tell Mathias!"_

"I won't!" I quickly promised again.

The next thing I knew, I heard many different voices calling out my name. I felt myself being gently shaken. The beautiful meadow began to fade away along with the image of Rosephanye. All that was left was white. Yet, soon enough, the white faded away too. Everything became dark and the voices, much more clear. My eyes flickered opened to see five worried faces looking down at me.

A flood of memories came rushing back to my mind. I remembered where I was. I remembered what had happened. I remembered being in Mathias' embrace and then, the next thing I knew, I was speaking to Rose. Now, I was lying on the steps of the cathedral with both Mathias and Subaru trying to support me. I pulled myself up to a sitting position to get a better look at the people around me.

Noel was there, looking as worried as a sister should be, Taro was beside her, a look of relief on his face upon my awakening. Subaru was on my right side, looking just as worried as my sister, and then, on my left side were both Mathias and Miranda, both looking rather terrified. I understood their terror. Vampires didn't awaken from sleep. Vampires didn't sleep at all—a fact that I'd learned long ago.

"What… happened?" I asked while lifting a hand to hold my head.

"Caren, you passed out." Mathias explained solemnly and still rather worried.

"I did?" I asked, not quite believing what Mathias had told me. Had meeting with Rosephanye really make me pass out?

"Oh!" I exclaimed, remembering Rose's message. I turned to Mathias, trying to gather my thoughts of all which Rose wanted me to say. "Rosephanye wanted me to tell you the true about how she really died."

Mathias looked at me thoughtfully, obviously aware of my knowledge of Rose. He brushed a hand through my hair and sighed sadly. "You don't have to say anything. I heard what that _monster_ told you. I know."

I stayed silent for a moment before speaking in a hushed tone. "Was it true what he said about you?"

I was welcomed by silence for a moment. Then, Mathias replied sadly, "Yes."

_I forgive you._

I almost wanted to cry when I saw the agony in his eyes. I thought of what I might've done had I been in his situation. I thought of what Sara had done when she was deceived by her servant, telling her that Taro ceased to love her. She destroyed her kingdom. I could understand how violently people could react when their hearts are broken. I, myself, had gone into a zombie-like state in the time Mathias had been gone. I had no one to be angry with and so, I couldn't react violently. Yet, I understood why Mathias was so upset now. I leaned over to hug Mathias tightly.

"She forgives you." I told him, relaying what I knew to be true. "She still loves you very much."

"Yes, I know." He murmured while pulling me close to him. "However, I must apologize to you once again."

I looked at Mathias skeptically. "Why?"

He sighed sadly. "Because I've interfered with your life. I was never meant to be with you. I should've died over a thousand years ago. You were meant to be… with him."

Mathias moved away from me and I turned to look at Subaru. He had stayed silent, allowing for everything to sink in. I moved closer to him and placed my hands with his. I smiled at him and he returned my smile. I immediately wrapped my arms around him and pulled myself close to him, allowing his sunshiny scent to intoxicate me. Mathias was right. I was meant to be with Subaru. But what of Mathias? Would he just give me away and life the rest of his immortal life with only a servant as company? And what of my life with Subaru? I was immortal. Would I have to turn him in order for me to get my happy ending? Well, either way, I knew that some way or another, I would get my happy ending. I was more worried about Mathias. I turned to look at him, a frown crossing my face.

"But what about you? You had the one person who was most important to you snatched away. It can't be fair if you're left alone for the rest of eternity."

"Perhaps." Mathias mused silently. He then lowered his gaze to the floor in shame. "But maybe I deserve it."

I was about to say something before a completely different voice echoed throughout the cathedral.

"Dammit!" The masculine voice cursed. "I'm just a _little_ bit late and I miss all the excitement!"

Everyone's attention flew to the man who entered the cathedral. He had chocolaty hair—hair lighter than Mathias'—and he had the trademark eyes of a vampire. The build of his body was similar to Mathias' and I could pick out traits about him that were the same. However, he looked more different than the same.

"Felix?"

I heard three voices speak this vampire's name: Mathias, Subaru, and Noel. Mathias spoke out of recognition. Subaru spoke out of shock. And Noel… Noel spoke with both recognition _and_ shock and it made me wonder…

How the hell did Noel know this vampire!?

I wanted to ask but too much was already occurring. Before I knew it, Mathias had gotten up to meet Felix. Felix grinned widely before capturing Mathias in a headlock and ruffling his hair.

"Hey, cuz! Sup?" Felix asked in a playful manner as Mathias tried to escape his grasp.

"Let go of me, Felix!" Mathias demanded as he managed to struggle free.

Felix threw his hands up in the air dramatically while speaking in a stage-like voice. "Okay, okay, I understand! After all, a king has no time to be hassled by his older cousin."

Mathias shook his head at the vampire and Felix merely smiled. He then continued to walk towards me, Subaru, Noel, Taro, and Miranda. He bowed deeply towards Miranda and Taro, giving them both a warm smile.

"It's a pleasure to see you once again, Miss Mira. I guess you found Old Demi, eh?" He said while motioning to the burning pile of pews that still crackled.

"Actually, it was Mathias who found Demetrius, not I." She replied honestly.

Felix closed his eyes and placed his right hand over his chest as if patriotically and he continued to speak in a dramatic voice. "And thus ends King Claudius' evil reign."

Mathias walked back up to the stairs and sat down beside me. "So what does that make you? Hamlet? The story isn't exactly accurate. You should use something more accurate like… Nikademus."

Felix laughed at Mathias' statement. "That kid has serious issues! No offense, Miranda."

"None taken." Miranda replied blankly. "I disowned him as my brother over seven hundred years ago."

"Oh yes, that's right." Felix replied while continuing up to Subaru, Noel, Mathias and I. He smiled widely when he looked upon Noel and he winked at her suggestively. "Hey, Blue. Looking good."

Noel's face flushed a deep crimson colour and I desperately wanted to know what had gone on with them. I guess this was why Noel didn't freak out when she found out that I was a vampire. Noel advert her eyes from Felix. "Sh-shut up."

Felix grinned and the looked down at Subaru and I. "Well now, what do we have here?" He asked while folding his arms over his chest. He then jumped once and pointed his finger at us. "A half-blood and a nonbeliever!"

"Karma certainly is a pain, isn't it?" Subaru asked, a smile creeping onto his face. "Once upon a time, I didn't believe in vampires and mermaids and now, I'm in love with a woman who is both those things."

"That you are." Felix replied. He then proceeded to sit down on the marble floor and looked at me. His tone became more serious then and not really surprised. "So, Mathias turned you, hmm?"

I nodded slowly, an almost sarcastic smile on my face. "So it would seem. But now I'm in love with both Mathias _and_ Subaru and I have no idea how to make things work so that Mathias isn't left alone for the rest of all eternity."

Felix paused for a moment to think. All eyes were on him now and an eerie silence overcame the cathedral. It seemed as if the flames were now silent. Then, Felix turned to Subaru to randomly blurt out, "Hey! Nonbeliever! Do you want to join the posse of vampires?"

Subaru looked taken aback as Felix said this. His blue eyes were wide with surprise. "Me? A vampire?"

"Yeah." Felix replied tilting his head to the side as if his question was the simplest thing in the world.

Subaru looked at me as if I was supposed to explain this or give him an answer. I shrugged, giving him a look of confusion. I had absolutely no idea of what Felix was up to. I looked over to Mathias whose head was in his hand as he shook his head in either disapproval or embarrassment. I was pretty sure that it was the latter. I looked back over at Subaru to see how he would answer.

"Well…" he started, looking at everyone before he continued. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. I mean, sure, the life of a vampire sounds grand and all but, I don't know if I'd be able to handle living forever. I kind of prefer being a human."

"Perfect!" Exclaimed Felix. "Then the Purple Mermaid Princess shall be with you until you die and then she'll be with Mathias! It all works out!"

My jaw dropped.

"No!" I objected, not liking what I was hearing. "That sounds like such an insensitive thing to do! It makes it seem as if he's just a toy that will eventually get broken. I _don't_ want to think of him that way! I love him!"

"Only if you look at it from a vampiric point of view," Felix retorted. "Think about it, you were originally meant to live for only a short amount of time. However, 'short' is the term that vampires use. We've lived so long that we compare out current lives to that of a human's. Thus, life becomes short. Your life with Subaru would seem short only to you. But, to him, you'll have lived a full life together. Do you understand?"

"Caren, you don't have to listen to him." Mathias said dully while looking up at the sun through the shattered window. "He tries to come up with logical solutions to problems and they always seem ridiculous."

_I promise, the answer will come to you and I mean that quite literally._

Was this what Rose meant? Was this really what my future was to be? Was Felix's proposition the solution to my problem? If that was the case then Rose was dead on when she told me the answer would come in a literal sense. I thought about what Felix said. Mathias was wrong. The solution was quite logical. I could live with Subaru for the rest of his life and that would ensure him a happy ending. Then, I could be with Mathias and he would have his happy ending–well, as happy as his ending could get without the one he truly wanted. But what of Rose's happy ending. She never got one. Even if things turned out all well and dandy for the rest of us, she would be the only one with an ending that isn't good. And her ending wasn't good. But what if… no, that wouldn't be right.

_I'm glad that you're trying to think of my well being but, I'm already dead. It doesn't matter. However, I will befriend Subaru if you so wish. I will take care of him and love him for you as you will do for Mathias in my place. Can we agree on this?_

"Subaru, are you okay with this?" I asked him. "I honestly think that this should be your decision rather than mine."

Subaru wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. He kissed my forehead and gently rocked me back and forth. "Well, Felix's logic and advise has always served me well in the past and, thinking about it, it does make sense. I guess I'm alright with it."

"Okay." I gently murmured as a smile graced my lips.

"On one condition." Mathias stated loudly so that everyone's attention was on him. He looked at me and smiled. "As the vampire that turned Caren, I wish to be the one to give her away at your wedding."

Subaru grinned, pulling me close to him. "Deal."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I was amazed at where my life had gone. My life started as a Mermaid Princess. I was turned into a vampire. I had my heart broken. I rescued my sister. I found my true love. I almost got killed but was saved by the vampire who'd originally turned me. Now, I had recently been married.

Oh, and aside from that, Rosephanye decided to give me one final gift: her old palace. I don't know how she did it but, somehow, her palace had risen to the surface of the ice. It was no longer in ruins and it looked like one of the castles you might see in a fairy tale. This was to be mine and Subaru's home. It was also where we were married.

Everything seemed to be like a dream. I almost couldn't believe that I was dancing in Subaru's arms, wearing a gorgeous white dress. He smiled at me and his blue eyes sparkled. I leaned forward and softly placed a kiss on his lips. He pulled me close to him. This moment was so perfect and it was real. Subaru pulled his lips away from mine for a moment.

"Did you ever think that my saving you that first time we met would eventually lead to this?" He asked me, still smiling.

I laughed. "At that point in time, I still thought that my vampiric knight in shining armor was going to come to me. Apparently, he did but, I was with you and he had no idea where I was."

"Now he'll always know where you are and he'll know that you're perfectly safe." Subaru said softly before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"I'd entrust Caren to no other man."

Subaru stopped dancing with me and we both turned to look at Mathias who was standing near us. He smiled at us and slowly approached us. He looked at Subaru. "You're a good man. I know I can trust you with her. However, might I borrow her for just one dance?"

Subaru nodded and smiled at me once more before letting me go. He walked away from us and I turned to face Mathias. He quickly pulled me into his arms and spun me around. I giggled as a memory surfaced in my mind. Wasn't this how I spent my first moments in Mathias' arms? Oh, the memory almost made me giddy. I had felt so good in that short amount of time. I didn't even consider that my life might've been in danger like it was.

"To think," Mathias started softly. "The next time we dance like this, you'll be my queen."

"You know, technically, I'm a queen now." I replied, a playful smile on my face.

Mathias looked at me shaking with head with a smile. "No, not technically."

I frowned. "How so?"

"Well, you only married a human. It isn't like he's a prince or anything." Mathias said, cockiness seeping into his grin. "For you to be a queen, Subaru would have to be a prince, which he isn't. Therefore, you are technically still a princess."

I sighed and then frowned at him in mock anger. "Well then, how can you be a king? You're still not married."

"No, but my father is dead which means I automatically take his place as king."

Mathias was definitely wearing a cocky grin as he said this. I pouted. "So, just because your dad dies, you get the title of king? Well, in that case, I should already be queen. Noel and I don't have a mother. She probably died a long time ago because I haven't seen her for as long as I've lived."

Mathias shook his head and dipped me low to the ground so that I would be silent for a moment. "Monarchies are different on land and in the ocean. However, what I _do_ know is that you've always been a princess and that, as far as monarchies on land go, being married to Subaru doesn't make you a queen."

As Mathias pulled me up, I rolled my eyes. "Oh, be quiet. You're no fun. Now, I know that there's another reason why you interrupted my dance with Subaru. I know that there is else you wouldn't have interrupted us. Would you care to tell me the reason?"

Mathias looked at me thoughtfully before replying. "You are quite observant, Caren. You're also right for that matter. You see, I've been keeping Rosephanye's diary and, for some reason, I felt compelled to read the last entry. Instead, I found a note that concerned you. It said that you should go to the highest tower of this palace. The only other thing that it said was that Rose gives you her best wishes in regards to your marriage."

I hummed softly as Mathias relayed this information to me. What was Rose trying to tell me now? I was now extremely curious as to what was in the highest tower. I'd never explored much of the palace and, therefore, didn't know how to get to the highest tower. I didn't even know what the room was used for.

"Mathias, what's in the highest tower?" I questioned as if he might know the answer. "Surely, Rose doesn't think that I have to be rescued in the traditional manner of a fairytale princess."

"No, I wouldn't think so. However, if Rose felt you needed to go there, then it must be important." He mused silently. "You should go get Subaru and then I'll take you there. You seemed a bit confused when I mentioned that the palace even _had_ a tower."

I rolled my eyes. "You're teasing me again, aren't you?"

Mathias smiled and I shook my head. I pulled away from him and told him that I'd be right back. He nodded and I went off to find my beloved husband. I easily found Subaru who had been chatting with Felix (who was my sister's date—I was still oblivious to what had gone on between the two) and I informed him of what Mathias had told me. Felix left us to go find my sister and Subaru walked alongside me as we went to go find Mathias.

We found Mathias standing in grand entrance to the ballroom and he nodded at us as we approached. There was no exchange of words as we reached him and he took no time to wait before turning to lead us through Rose's palace. Subaru and I followed him down various hallways that twisted and turned and brought us deeper and deeper into the palace. It amazed me how he remembered where everything was in this palace. From what I knew, he'd only been here once before and he was completely enraged. I for one wouldn't remember the details of a place I'd visited if bloody murder was all I could think about.

We reached a spiraling staircase and Mathias began to ascend up the steps, seeming unfazed by the number of stairs we had to climb. Quietly, Subaru and I followed, anxious to see what was at the top of the stairs. Many minutes passed before we reached the end of the staircase. Mathias pushed open a large set of doors to reveal a purely white, empty room. It was long and at the end of it, on a risen platform sitting in an opened lavender shell-like throne that was customary to a mermaid princess' palace was Rose.

I gasped when I saw her and I was quite positive that Mathias had the same reaction. I wasn't sure what Subaru thought but, I'm certain that he figured who she was. Rose just smiled at us, a heavenly glow surrounding her. She slid off the throne and gracefully approached us almost as if she were floating. She stopped a few paces away from the three of us and then began to speak.

"I am not supposed to be here and, therefore, I cannot stay for very long. However, I felt that I should be here. You see, I have one final gift for you, Caren." She explained, giving me a warm smile that was still very thankful. She then turned to Mathias. "And I could not pass up the oppouritunity to see you again, my love."

Mathias walked up to Rose and reached out his hand to touch her cheek. His pale fingers phased through the illusion of her skin. A frown crossed his face. "'Tis cruelty that you should be before me once more and that I cannot even touch your face."

Rose frowned as well and let out a deep sigh. She wrapped her arms around Mathias' neck and hugged him—even though she was not technically holding him. "Mathias, to just see you in person once more, brings me joy that I did not think I could still feel. It is, indeed, a cruel thing that we cannot truly embrace but… to just be in your presence is enough."

She moved back then and smiled once more at Mathias before turning her attention back to me. "Caren, would you come with me for a moment?"

I nodded and I silently approached Rose. She began walking back over to the throne before stopping in front of it. "My final gift to you," she started, "is to present you with knowledge that you do not possess. As a vampire, your body is dead. However, as a mermaid, you are alive and well. You are half alive and half dead which gives you a remarkable ability—an ability that no mermaid princess has ever had the chance to do. Because half of you is deceased, a successor is waiting to be born. Because half of you is alive, you have the ability to raise this new successor as a mother would raise her child. All you have to do is surrender your pearl to the new mermaid princess so that she can be born."

I stared at her, wide-eyed. Was what she said true? Could I really have the oppouritunity to raise my successor? Without my knowledge, I clutched the pendant around my neck. I opened it and took my pearl into my hand. I looked at it in awe. A new mermaid princess… I couldn't even fathom the thought.

"What is her name?" I asked, wanting to know more about the girl who was to take me place.

Rose smiled. "Her name is Emma. She has been waiting a very long time for you to decide when she'll be born."

I was still in awe as Rose told me this. "Emma…" I repeated softly. I extended my hand that held my pearl, offering it to the unseen spirit that so desperately wanted life. A warm, lavender glow emanated from my pearl and the precious stone floated out of my hand to hover in the air before me. I stepped back and watched as the violet orb of light grew bigger and bigger. Then, the light began to fade and I could see the silhouette of a young mermaid. The light completely faded and I beheld the new mermaid princess, Emma.

She looked to be about four years old—much younger than the recent mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean, Seira, looked. Light violet bangs framed her small, round face. She had rosy lips that twitched up in a smile and her two bright lavender eyes looked up at me admiringly. Her hair was long and wavy—almost like my sister's—and a single braid was woven above her left ear, clipped back with a silver barrette. I wasn't even surprised to find that a small jeweled lilac adorned that barrette.

I was in awe as I looked down upon the young mermaid. I found myself reaching for her, wanting to hold the child in my arms. Emma reached for me as well and her small arms wrapped around my neck as I swept her up into my embrace. I held her tightly to me, feeling overwhelmed by the day's events. I was married and my successor had been born.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and my gaze shifted to look into dazzling pools of aquamarine; my beloved Subaru. Emma's head also turned to look over at Subaru and she observed him carefully. A look of realization crossed her face as she gazed at us.

"Are you my mommy and daddy?" She asked with a soft voice that sounded like a bell.

I held her closer to me and with a humbled voice I whispered, "Yes, Emma, we are."

Subaru embraced both Emma and I tightly and he placed a kiss on my forehead. I heard Emma giggle in my arms and I couldn't help but smile brightly. She was so beautiful. She was the child I could never give birth to, but would be able to raise until she could live on her own and rule the Antarctic to the best of her ability. Then, I would live with Subaru for the rest of his life before he would give me away to Mathias.

Almost forgetting that Mathias was in the room, I looked over my shoulder to find him speaking with Rose. They were talking so quietly that I couldn't understand what they were saying. However, Mathias' expression made me smile. He looked just as happy as Subaru was now. He and Rose were _exactly_ like Subaru and I. Only with complications. Their love was doomed from the start. It was sad that they couldn't be together, but both had seemed to come to terms with that. Now, I would just help as best as I could.

Rose and Mathias glanced over at me and they smiled. I smiled back at them. Then, a voice echoed throughout my mind. I was certain that it was Rose once again. She was the only person I'd known to speak to me through my mind.

_Caren, you're thinking about the future again, aren't you? You mustn't distract yourself with such thoughts. You are not expected to live for your life with Mathias. That is not your sole destiny in this life. You are expected to live your life with Subaru, as well as Emma. Do not dwell on the future. There will be plenty of time for that when the future comes. Serve your purpose now for it is the most marvelous thing that you will get to experience. These are my final words of wisdom that I can personally give you. We may or may not meet again and so, I give you my best wishes. I must go now. Fulfill this great expectation that is yours and yours alone._

I watched as a bright light enveloped Rose. All eyes were on her figure as she faded away within that light. I thought I saw a look of sadness cross Mathias' face as she left, but he quickly smiled to cover up for it. When the light faded from the room and Rose was gone, Mathias turned to face Subaru, Emma and I. He bowed deeply before smiling warmly at us.

"I congratulate you both with my sincerest wishes. There are no others who could possibly be blessed as much as the two of you." He stated, a kind of formality creeping into his speech. He approached us slowly and raised his hand in which he held a frozen lilac. He handed it to Emma and she looked at the blossom with sheer fascination. He then proceeded to take a dark purple box out of his pocket. He handed it to me and then backed up a few paces. "Now I've given each of you a gift. Subaru, take good care of Caren. Make sure that she doesn't get into any trouble behind my back."

Subaru grinned at that comment. "I'll try my best. It might be difficult since this is Caren we're talking about, but I'll watch over her with my life."

Mathias laughed softly. "I'm trusting you to do so. Now, I feel I must take my leave. There are matters back in Germany that I must attend to that I've been neglecting." Mathias turned to fully gaze into my eyes. "I shall meet you again in the place we first met in about, oh… around one hundred years?"

Subaru laughed. "You really think I'll live that long?"

Mathias smiled before he responded. "Hey, I'm over a thousand years old, remember? A human life is a fickle thing. You could very well live to be over a hundred."

Mathias smiled once more before turning to leave. As he walked towards the doorway, I said softly, "Farewell, Mathias."

He paused before he left the room. I could tell the he was smiling in the way that he replied. "See you around, Caren."

And then he left. I stood in silence for a moment wondering when I would see Mathias next. I knew that it would be a long time; however, this time I _knew_ that I would see him again. I was about to get lost within my thoughts before Emma dragged my attention to the box Mathias had given me.

I sat down on the platform, still cradling Emma with one of my arms while I held the box with my other hand. I opened the box and gasped upon what I saw. It was a thick, intricately woven, silver chain. Dangling from the shiny links was a beautiful, aquamarine stone cut to look like the blossom of a rose. From the base of the rose, an emerald stem reached down in the shape of a curved line. There was a note alongside the beautiful pendant, written in Mathias' graceful script. My eyes looked at the note intently and I read each word he had written with great admiration.

_My beloved Caren…_

_You were expecting a ring, weren't you? I was debating whether or not to give you a promise ring, but, considering that this is your wedding day, the notion would be inappropriate. I also assumed that lilacs were becoming too cliché. So, I had this necklace made for you. Roses are the usual symbol of love and I'm certain that the colour matches your husband's eyes. Even when you come to me, I want this pendant to be a constant reminder of the life that is yours, not Rose's. I don't implore you to be anyone other than yourself and, right now, you are Subaru's wife. To live by his side as his equal is your divine expectation. You are an incredible woman. I cannot wait until we are reunited once more. Take great care, my love. I shall be vigilantly waiting for you._

_With the utmost of love,_

_Mathias_

The End

--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--x--

Okay, I lied. This isn't completely the ending. I'm writing an Epilogue and I am hoping that I will have it done and posted for Christmas Day. It will be the final conclusion to Caren's story. Hopefully, you'll all come back to read it. Do it for Mathias. You guys rock.  
-Jazlynn.


	5. Epilogue: Promise at Sunrise

Well, here it is. The Epilogue. Despite the fact that I'm a few hours shy of meeting my Christmas deadline. I think I got most of the loose ends of this story tied off and I am now completely happy with the end to my trilogy. But hey, I never said that I was done with vampires. Oh no. I'm already in the process of writing a story about Noel. Whenever I post it, you should definitely check it out. It will explain things that I left open ended with this. But, for now, enjoy the Epilogue; the final chapter of Caren and Mathias' story.

**Divine Expectations: Epilogue  
**Promise at Sunrise  
_Written by: Jazlynn_

How long had it been since I'd been to this place? It seemed like an eternity. The scenery had also drastically changed over the years. I felt so lost and confused as I wandered around the city I once lived in a long time ago. Sixty-five years had passed since I was last here. Oh god, that number never ceased to amaze me. It would only grow and grow and there would be no limit to it. It was a scary thought. I was afraid to live forever. I was afraid to live forever without… _him_.

I had to prevent tears from welling up in my eyes. I had to toughen up. I had spent a year trying to get over the loss of my husband. I was on my way to meet once again with the other man I still loved. I couldn't still be grieving over Subaru when I went to go greet Mathias. Besides, I knew that Rose was with Subaru now. She had given me the message in her diary. That was the only connection I had to her and Subaru now.

I clutched the journal close to my chest, the jeweled side facing inward. I didn't want to risk anyone trying to steal it. It would be better for people to mistake it for some old book that wasn't worth anything. I jerked my head to the side in an attempt to get my bangs out of my face. The tactic failed, much to my dismay.

I sighed and continued on my way through the winding streets around me. Skyscrapers stood high above me and crowds of people brushed past me. I wasn't used to this at all. It was as if the population had doubled since I was last here and that there wasn't much space for them to go. It was… suffocating. Did Mathias really have to adjust to all of this change? Yes, he did. He was born in the Middle Ages and had to adjust to _everything_ new that came to be. The same went for his cousin, Felix. The same would soon go for me. I wasn't exactly getting any older.

A glimpse of the ocean caught my eyes and I felt drawn to the vast waters. It was the only place that wouldn't be cluttered by humans and their large spacious buildings. They would never be able to taint it no matter how hard they tried. Even massive pollution could be stopped if all the mermaid princesses came together.

And there was the other factor that had changed greatly. There were a whole slew of new mermaid princesses! Seira was still around and she had fallen in love with a human boy whom she later married. They had a child and now, that child was the new Orange Mermaid Princess. And not only was Seira married but, my little Emma was married as well. But, unfortunately, tragedy occurred in her life. She wed a human and they had a child together (who was now the new Purple Mermaid Princess) but, she was soon widowed because of a car accident. Oh, how she cried and cried and cried. I had to comfort her for weeks, trying to tell her that everything would be okay. Well, I regret saying that because, two years after, she met a vampire and fell in love with him. She's now exactly like me and happy once more. Then, there were Rina, Hanon, Lucia, and Coco's successors. They were all still around and kicking. Lucia was also still around but, she had assumed Aqua Regina's position as goddess of the sea. As for Noel's successor… well, I didn't really know much about that. It was as if the existence of my sister had been clouded over and vanished. I hadn't seen her in over fifty years. I had no idea what had happened to my sister. That fact alone made me want to cry. I loved my sister and I didn't even know if she was still alive.

I came across the path I had often used when I once lived here. Thankfully, the area around the sidewalk hadn't changed much at all. I didn't feel quite so lost anymore. I, at least, had some idea of where I was now. The Pearl Piari was near here—well, if the Pearl Piari still existed. Now, I was curious to see if the hotel was still there.

I walked down the twilit sidewalk as the setting sun illuminated the ocean with brilliant gold, orange, and red. The ocean breeze rustled my dark hair as I got closer and closer to my destination. I knew that I was stalling my arrival at the mansion, but I wasn't sure if I was ready to go there yet.

As I neared the Pearl Piari, I was surprised to find that it looked relatively the same. The only big differences that I noticed were that it had been painted and there was a new set of doors. I wondered if it was still run by mermaids. The chances were quite likely.

Voices alerted me to the presence of nearby people. Mt head instantly shifted to the source of the voices and I found myself gazing at four women standing down on the beach. I gasped in shock as I beheld the appearances of these women. One of them looked like Seira, another looked like Lucia, and the other two girls looked like Rina and Hanon. These were the current mermaid princesses of the North Pacific, North and South Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. They all appeared to be in their thirties except for the Orange Mermaid Princess who looked like she was still in her twenties. I couldn't understand much of their conversation but I was pretty sure that they were speaking of some new evil. There was _always_ some new evil threatening the ocean as well as the land. Well, it was no longer my problem. I wasn't a mermaid princess anymore. I was just a mermaid that was going to be more known as a vampire very soon.

"Caren?"

I jumped in surprise as a familiar voice called my name. However, the voice was different, more worn with age. I turned and my eyes widened in shock as I beheld Seira—the previous Orange Mermaid Princess. I was amazed by the drastic effect that time had had on her. She was _old_. I knew that different cosmetics had been created to help with aging, yet even though I could tell Seira had used them, she still looked over fifty. She was still beautiful and her hair was still orange albeit faded. I was just amazed that she looked like this compared to the last time I had seen her. I was suddenly very frightened by time, even though it did not affect me. Perhaps that was the aspect that scared me—the fact that I wouldn't be affected. It seemed likely since I was afraid from my husband's death.

"Seira," I murmured quietly as she slowly approached me.

"I… I don't understand this, Caren." She stated, her eyes flickering with confusion. "How are you… how is it that you still look as you did when I last saw you?"

I sighed and let my eyes lower to the ground. I couldn't exactly keep my secret from Seira any longer. It wouldn't really matter now, anyways. "Well, in all honesty, Seira, I was like this before you were born."

"But… how?" She repeated, still seeming really confused.

"I'm a monster." I stated bitterly as I reflected on my past. "I gave into the temptation of an immortal life and I have to do certain things that seem barbaric. I'd rather not elaborate on it."

Seira stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again. "But you're a Mermaid Princess. How can you say that you're a monster?"

I sighed. I suppose I could tell her. Well, in a manor that Seira would assume what I was. "I'm only half-mermaid. The other half of me demands blood—normally human blood, although I try to refrain from killing humans."

Seira's eyes widened and her forehead wrinkled. "You're a vampire?"

I nodded. "Yep."

"Wow." She said in amazement. "I had no idea… did anyone else know about…?"

"Only Noel." I quickly replied, not wanting to dwell on the fact. Seira just nodded and both of us looked over at the four mermaids on the beach.

"So," I started with comic tone in my voice. "What kind of trouble are the oceans in now?"

Seira sighed. "It would appear that someone is going around and kidnapping Mermaid Princesses. I don't know who is doing this and why they are doing it. All I know is that the Yellow Mermaid Princess has been captured. Lucia doing all she can to find the person responsible."

I gazed out over the ocean as Seira told me this. I couldn't believe it. I was old enough to watch history repeat itself! I was just curious as to who was the enemy this time. "You wanna know something, Seira? This happened once before. You were actually the result of the final events that took place concerning that situation. Kaito's brother was collecting Mermaid Princesses in order to use their pearls to gain control of the seas. We defeated him, of course, but it would seem that someone else is following in his footsteps. I'm sure that things will work out. And if they don't, I'll get involved and set things straight."

Seira smiled. "I was actually thinking the exact same thing. However, I'm a little bit too old to do much now."

"I noticed." I remarked sadly. "But there is an upside to mortality."

"And what is that?" Seira asked sarcastically. "I can't really see any upsides."

"Well, you can die." Seira raised an eyebrow at that remark. I quickly explained myself. "Well, I'm sure you've noticed how much the world has changed, right? Well, I'm finding that change extremely difficult to cope with since I've been mainly living in Antarctica. It'll only be a matter of years before I get used to this and then, I'll be totally lost again! I'm not even sure I'll be able to adapt as life goes on."

"Well, I hope that you can adapt." Seira stated somberly. "I wouldn't want for you to suffer for eternity."

"I'm already struggling with my husband's death and he died a year ago." I admitted sadly. My voice got quieter as I continued to speak. "Although, I know that he's in good hands. I'm supposedly going into the care of another now as well, but I'm still not sure if I'm ready."

Seira was quiet and thoughtful as she listened to me. After a while, she let out a long sigh. "Caren, from what I know of you, you are a strong person. You'll pull through this. Everything will turn out alright for you, I'm certain."

I nodded in her direction before looking back out at the ocean. The sun had just sunk below the horizon and the moon was shining in all its glory up in the sky. Its pale beams fell upon me and it reflected off of my skin. I heard Seira gasp as the moonlight bore down on me.

"Well, if I was in any doubt before that you were a vampire, it's gone now." She said breathlessly, in awe by my beauty in the moonlight. "Caren, you look absolutely beautiful."

I smiled and lowered my eyes to the ground as if a shy side in me had presented itself. "I don't take much notice to it anymore, to be honest."

"I'm sure I'd be rather vain if I looked that beautiful." Seira said with a laugh.

I laughed softly at her remark. "I'm sure you would. But you know, for someone your age, you still look quite beautiful yourself. You're very lucky in that aspect. Time is being kind to you."

"Yes, I believe you're right." She agreed with a twinkle in her eyes. "Now, were you going to meet this person you're to be living with or will you be staying here?"

"Well," I started as I observed the ocean again. "Considering the fact that this person has been waiting over sixty years for me, I suppose I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer."

Seira nodded with a smile. "Then you should go."

I smiled back at her, nodding as well. I quickly hugged her before turning to leave. "I suppose I will. It was really great to see you again, Seira."

"It was good to see you as well, Caren." She said also before she turned to go back to the Pearl Piari.

I then, took my leave. It was time for me to return to Mathias. I walked quickly in silence, my eyes lowered to the ground. I still wasn't sure if I was ready for this. However, I'd come all this way and I'd waited long enough. I made my decision years ago and now it was time to go home.

I walked a fair distance away from the Pearl Piari before I made my way to the ocean. The full moon hung high above my head as I took in a deep breath. I leaped into the ocean without a moment of hesitation and began to swim towards the underwater caverns. Thankfully, the ocean floor remained the same and I could easily find my way.

I made my way to the ridge in the ocean and began to vigorously search for the crack in the rocks. When I found it, I hesitated, my indecision from earlier surfacing within my mind. But no, I had to go on. And so, I made my way into and through the small crevice.

I thought about Mathias' mansion for quite some time and I realized something. This would be the first time I'd come here since my original departure for Antarctica. I wondered if the mansion would look any different. Would Mathias have changed it somehow? And what about him? Had he changed in the time I'd been away with Subaru? Perhaps, to him, it might seem like I've changed. As I thought, I felt my stomach flutter. I felt like a sixteen year old going on her first date. It was pathetic.

Pale violet light met my eyes and I suddenly felt giddy and anxious. It was the forest of frozen lilacs! I was almost within the mansion's courtyard. I slowly surfaced in the small crystal like pond that served as an entrance and glanced around. To my liking, the mansion was exactly how I remembered it. _Everything_ was the same. There was nothing different about it at all. Not even the lilacs looked different.

With a smile, I pulled myself out of the water, still holding the diary in my arms, and changed into my human form—my vampire form. I breathed in the overpowering scent of frozen lilacs and I let out a satisfied sigh. I was home again.

I debated on where I should go—where I would find Mathias. As I thought on this, I heard a melody faintly reaching the lilac forest. It was a familiar tune—Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Mathias was probably sitting at his piano and playing the beautiful song. I could just imagine him moving his hands over the keys in a graceful manor as Miranda sat idly by, her eyes closed as she lost herself in the music. I know that that is how I would respond. Actually, that's how I always responded to Mathias' music. Although, he usually played pieces that he composed himself.

I decided that I wouldn't bother him right now. I would go to his room and surprise him there. I didn't expect that he was aware of my presence yet. And so, I headed to the separate area of the mansion where Mathias' room was. As I approached the intricately carved doors, I traced my fingers along the designs before pulling them open. I silently entered the spiraling staircase and I quietly headed for Mathias' room. My thoughts were enshrouded by a haze of nostalgia as I climbed those stairs. I recalled the time when I was human, trying desperately to get away from Mathias. I had unknowingly walked into the spider's web. At least, that's how Mathias phrased it.

When I reached the top, I silently pushed the doors open and entered the room. My eyes widened in shock and I froze as I beheld Mathias—lying on his bed feigning sleep. I was in awe. I don't think I could ever get over how beautiful he looked. He was an angel. I couldn't help but smile as I silently gazed at him. However, although I smiled, his expression turned to that of irritation.

"Nicole, what have I told you about coming into my room?"

Nicole? What? Did I miss something here? Just who was this _Nicole?_ Oh, I could feel the jealousy quickly rising within me. I quickly set the diary down on a small table before folding my arms over my chest. "Nicole? Who the hell is Nicole?"

Mathias' eyes snapped open at the sound of my voice and he was sitting within less than a second. His golden eyes were wide with both awe and surprise. It felt as if he were staring at me for an extremely long time before he said anything.

"Caren?" He whispered, voice still sounding confused and surprised. As soon as my image finally sunk in, he was off of his bed and at my side. "Oh, Caren!"

He embraced me tightly and I felt myself melt in his strong arms. All of a sudden, I no longer cared who this 'Nicole' was. She wasn't the one in Mathias' arms. I breathed in Mathias' scent as if doing so brought back a part of my heart that had been torn out. Although I would probably never get over the loss of Subaru, being with Mathias would be the thing to make me happy again. That was what Subaru wanted for me. He had told me so before he died. I was, at least, respecting his last wishes.

Mathias leaned forward to kiss me, but I pulled away with a smile. I looked at him, attempting to be serious now. "Honestly, who is Nicole?"

Mathias kissed me anyway before gently pulling away. "Nicole is—wait! You don't know?"

I shook my head as I looked at Mathias' confused expression. He frowned and then let out a sigh.

"I guess they decided not to tell you." He murmured quietly.

"Wait, what?" I asked, not quite sure about what he was talking about. "Who is it that was supposedly going to tell me about what?"

Mathias rolled his eyes before he smiled down at me. "Nicole is your half-vampire niece."

"Half-vampire niece?" I repeated. Then something clicked in my mind. "Oh my god! Noel had a child?!"

Mathias nodded, his smile growing wider because of my reaction. "That she did. She's also married to my cousin, has been technically dead for about sixty years, and she's been living here for a few months now."

I stared at him blankly. "My sister's a vampire now."

It wasn't a question. I knew exactly what Mathias meant when he told me she'd been _technically_ dead for sixty years. And the fact that my niece was a half-vampire also explained the mystery surrounding my sister's successor. I'd like to see the new evil within the ocean try to capture _her_. I'd _pay_ to see that.

Mathias nodded, confirming that my assumption had been correct. "She's been waiting to see you again, just as I have."

Mathias leaned forward and gently kissed my forehead. Then, he pulled me up into his arms and carried me over to his bed. I held onto him tightly, giggling softly. He started kissing my neck and then we fell together onto the soft silk sheets. He held me tightly to him, continuing to kiss me.

"O, sweet Caren! How I have pined for the taste of thy luscious lips!"

Mathias' lips covered mine and I found myself in ecstasy. That was the first time I had heard Mathias speak as if he were still living in his time. He didn't sound mysterious or dark or anything that I had found myself thinking of him. His voice showed love, devotion, and honesty—exactly like Subaru's.

I wanted to stay like that forever. I wanted for Mathias to never stop kissing me and I never wanted to stop kissing him. This was how things should have been for him. It would be the way that things were to be. However, as the temptation of making love got higher and higher, I had to pull my lips away from Mathias.

"You realize that I am not yet your queen." I stated bluntly, a joking tone seeping into my voice.

Mathias smiled deviously and leaned forward to steal another kiss. "True, but kings can do whatever they want."

I merely mirrored his expression and drew further away from him. "I, for one, am not going to sleep with you so long as there are others present in this mansion."

Mathias got closer to me. "We don't technically sleep. You know that. However, I suppose you are right. It wouldn't be wise to do this if others are around."

"And I'm still not your queen." I quickly pointed out again.

Mathias laughed softly and moved away from me to gaze into my eyes. "Well, if you're going to be picky then I suppose I'll have to refrain for a little while longer. I shall wait until we are wed, but for the meantime, I know something that we can do—something that I know you'll approve of."

I tilted my head to the side. "And what's that?"

A smile lit up Mathias' face and he took my hand, pulling me off of his bed. "Come with me, darling."

I didn't ask where Mathias was going to take me, I just followed. I felt a rush of excitement rush through me as I ran with Mathias down the spiraling stairs to the lilac forest. As soon as the violet glow shimmered upon us, he lifted me up and spun me around a few times. I laughed in sheer delight as if the spinning motion was like a drug. And then, Mathias brought me back into his arms in a tight embrace. He smiled and kissed me passionately. He pulled away and his golden eyes were sparkling.

"Caren, I love you."

"I love you too, Mathias."

I leaned forward to kiss him this time and he gladly accepted my actions. He held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. Everything was just per—

"Awww!"

I gasped as I heard the chorus of voices coming from behind a glass window. My eyes flashed over to the ballroom and there stood Noel, Felix, Miranda, another girl who looked a lot like Noel and Felix whom I figured was Nicole, and a golden-eyed Taro. Well, at least I knew who it was that was playing the piano earlier.

I heard Mathias groan in irritation and when I glance back over at his face, he was rolling his eyes. A mischievous smile touched his lips and he began to pull me away from the group of vampires watching us. I knew that probably all of them wanted to speak with me, but I knew that Mathias wanted to spend time with me and me alone. So, I'd go along with him for now and just forget about my sister, her… lover? My niece, my friends… I would be with Mathias.

Mathias seemed to become more eager as we neared the crystal pond entrance. I was truly beginning to wonder what it was he had to show me—where it was we were going; what we were going to do. He didn't say a word as he dove into the clear waters. I quickly followed him, my curiosity piqued by his silence. I followed him through the tunnels until we were back out in the ocean once more. Where exactly was he taking me?

Mathias smiled as he took my hand. He began swimming further out into the Pacific, dragging me along the way. We swam for a very long time. I wasn't even aware of the direction we were headed. However, I trusted Mathias, wherever it was he was taking me.

Soon, I noticed that the water was getting much colder. And not only that but, icebergs were floating all over the place. Were we near Antarctica? If so, I didn't recognize the area at all. My violet eyes flickered over to Mathias, observing him curiously. I didn't understand. Why was he taking me to the place that reminded me of my late husband?

Mathias led me through a group of icebergs and then pulled me up towards the surface. We were met by the cold night air and I shivered—despite being a vampire. I looked around, trying to make sense of where we were. I felt confused. All I could see was water and icebergs. However, I noted that all of the icebergs were in a perfect circle around Mathias and I. It reminded me of something I had seen in a book once, yet for some reason, I couldn't remember what it was. I looked over at Mathias and he was smiling at me with a mysterious look in his eyes.

"You have the most amazing timing, Caren." He stated in amazement. "I really wanted to bring you here but I wasn't sure if I'd get the chance."

"Where exactly _are_ we?" I asked softly while glancing around a second time.

"I can't really say. I don't even know where we are." He admitted with a smile. "However, there are just places that vampires are drawn to. They are places that are full of mystery and intrigue for our kind. They are reminders of time that has come and time that has passed. I'm certain that you may have heard of one of them. Humans are drawn to it as well."

"Oh!" I remembered what it was I had been thinking of before. "You mean Stonehenge?"

Mathias nodded. "That would be it. Where we are right now is one of those special places. I'd heard of this place long ago and I've been wanting to come here for the longest time. I constantly wished that I could bring Rose along with me but… she'd already been gone for many, many years. I know what Stonehenge is capable of doing every thousand years. I know that the same thing will happen here tonight."

I tried to absorb this information as Mathias spoke to me. So, something was going to happen here tonight that Mathias wanted to show me? What was going to happen?

"Mathias, what exactly was it that Stonehenge can do that will happen here?" I asked, mystified.

He smiled and looked up at the full silvery moon that hung directly above us. It's light shone down on the icebergs and dark waters and it almost seemed like everything was shining. But… it was shining! Everything around us was glowing with a blinding whiteness that flickered with soft colours of the rainbow. I gasped and immediately clung to Mathias. He calmly took me into his arms as if expecting everything that was happening. Closing his eyes he softly spoke a single line.

"When the moon rises high like a pendant in the sky, the night shall be a melody—a bridge across time."

We were enveloped in white light and it seemed as if everything around us vanished. I couldn't see anything—not even Mathias. There was only light. I felt afraid of what was going on. I didn't like this at all. However, I seemed fairly calm considering the situation. The light almost felt good, in a way. Despite how unsure I was feeling.

Then I heard the music. I could hear a melody playing softly on… well, I couldn't distinguish any instrument that might be playing the beautiful line of music. It was entrancing. I'd never heard a sound that was so pure. I began to hear intricate harmonies that played alongside the melody and I found myself lost to the unyielding music.

My sight slowly began to return to me and I found myself in Mathias' arms. He was smiling lovingly at me and was gracefully moving me around him to the rhythm of the melody. We were dancing. I smiled once I realized this and I gladly went with Mathias in our midnight waltz. I lost myself in his deep topaz eyes, never wanting to break his gaze. However, flashes of colour from elsewhere distracted me and I gave into the temptation of looking around. I almost gasped at what I saw.

I saw many maidens in beautiful vibrant gowns dancing with their lovers in a glorious crystal ballroom. The moon and stars seemed to hover directly above us, lighting up the magnificent room. Outside the crystal walls, the ocean seemed to extend forever in all directions. I felt as if my breath had been taken away.

Mathias softly laughed, spinning me around before pulling me close to him. He dipped me low to the ground and placed a kiss on my lips. He pulled away with a smile before pulling me back up into his arms.

"Did you notice anybody that you once knew?" He murmured quietly, mystery seeping into his voice.

I looked at him oddly before shifting my gaze to look over the people in the room. There were many faces that I didn't recognize. Some of them took notice to Mathias and I and nodded in Mathias' direction as if they knew him. I still didn't see anyone that I—

I gasped as my eyes fell upon Sara and Gaito. They were… here? I was absolutely shocked. And then I saw others. I saw Hanon dancing with a young man that I presumed was her husband, Nagisa. I saw Coco dancing with a gentleman who seemed to resemble one of our enemies from long ago. I saw Rina dancing with her husband, Masahiro. And then I saw Lucia dancing with Kaito. All of the Mermaid Princesses from my time aside from Noel were here! I must have been dreaming somehow! This couldn't be possible, could it?

I shifted my gaze back to Mathias who was smiling mysteriously at me. Did he understand the meaning of this? "Mathias, why…"

"A corridor of time has opened." He explained simply. "Everyone that we know who has passed on is here to be with us—to share this single night with us and with each other."

"And this happens every thousand years?" I questioned, taking into consideration what Mathias had said earlier.

He nodded. "Yes."

Then, Mathias and I were lost within the music, dancing at its mercy. I giggled softly as Mathias spun me around, occasionally dipping me low to the ground. It was a rather nostalgic moment for me. This was exactly like our first dance only, Mathias didn't plan to kill me and I was surrounded by the souls of my friends. However, unlike the last time, I wasn't too entranced so that I couldn't speak. There were so many things that I wanted to ask Mathias and I felt that this was an alright time to ask him about them.

"Mathias," I started while forming my first question in my mind. "When you first saw me, did you know who I was? Did you know that I was one of Rose's successors?"

Mathias hummed softly, contemplating my question. "Well, when I first met you, in all honesty, I was offended by your scent. I was so far into depression from losing Rose that anything that reminded me of her made me angry. I intended to hunt you down and kill you but… when I saw you for the first time… I was amazed. Seeing you was almost as if Rose was back from the dead. I decided that I'd be a fool to kill you right then but, I just wanted you so badly. That's when the idea started forming in my mind that I should turn you and forever keep you with me. I still wasn't sure what I wanted to do with you—even after you had seen me for the first time. I was still contemplating your fate even as we danced. Then, when I kissed you and you returned the gesture, I knew for sure. I would make you mine."

I smiled softly, listening to his words. "Then what was with the game of Hide and Seek?"

Mathias smirked. "A vampire has to make an impression on his victims. I'd always stuck to that principle—even if you were the successor of my past fiancée and I intended to turn you anyways."

I laughed softly at that statement. "Well, you certainly made an impression. Although, it seems kind of pointless now that I know what you're truly like."

"Oh really?" Mathias challenged with grinning at me deviously. "Well then, I'll just have to prove you wrong. I'm not as predictable as you think. Isn't that right, Rosie?"

My eyes widened in shock when he looked to someone for reassurance. My eyes followed his and I found myself in awe once more. There, dancing right near us were Rosephanye and Subaru. Subaru nodded my way and smiled at me warmly.

I felt Mathias spin me around in a few more circles as if to show me off as his before he let go of my hand and allowed me to drift over to Subaru. He then took Rose into his arms and pulled her away so that I was alone to dance with my husband.

"Subaru…" I gently murmured.

"Caren." He murmured back, pushing my violet bangs out of my face.

We embraced tightly then, never wanting to let go of each other. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks. They were tears of happiness; of sadness. They were tears of sheer amazement that I was actually in my husband's arms again. It was more than I could have ever wanted. We were dancing together like we had on our wedding night so many years ago.

Subaru smiled warmly at me, some of Mathias' mysteriousness seeping into his eyes. "He really is a good guy, you know?"

I tilted my head to the side, trying to make sense of what he had said. "You mean Mathias? Why?"

"He knew how happy this would make you—to be able to see me again so soon." Subaru explained, that smile still on his lips. "Mathias knew that you would still be able to see me after I had passed and that's why he agreed to Felix's idea. You can be with me, and he can be with Rose for one night every few hundred years. Our happy ending can still continue."

I took in all of that information. Now I understood the strange compromise that had taken place so long ago. Subaru and I could still be together and I could be with Mathias as well. And not only that, but Mathias could still be with Rose. Everything worked out.

"So, how long is this going to last?" I asked softly, glancing out at the starry sky. "Will all of this go away come morning?"

"Yes." Subaru answered quietly. "We'll all fade away as the sun rises and you and Mathias will be left alone until we next meet."

I nodded in acknowledge of this information and rested my head against Subaru's chest. "Then let's not waste the time we have together."

Subaru nodded and then we were both dancing to the melody that rang throughout the crystal ballroom. I lost myself in his embrace, shutting out everything around me. For now, it was only Subaru and I dancing together again. It was the most wonderful thing in the world. All I wanted was this moment. However, good things must always come to an end.

I became aware of more light shining into the crystal ballroom and it dulled the silver moon's pale beams. The sky was turning into different shades of a lighter blue that indicated the night's end. I knew that this moment had to come and I soon found that Subaru was leading me back to Mathias and Rose. I thought that Mathias might look slightly upset considering the sun's rising, yet he looked content. He wasn't bothered by the oncoming day. His demeanor rubbed off on me and I was feeling more content than upset.

Subaru moved away from me with a smile and Mathias came to quickly embrace me. He must've thought that I was struggling with the upcoming departure of Rose and Subaru. Was I struggling? It was hard to know for sure. I know I wasn't all that ready for Subaru to leave but, there was nothing I could do to prevent that. Already, he and Rose were beginning to fade as the sun peaked over the horizon. Subaru was smiling at me reassuringly.

"Caren, we'll see each other again soon." Subaru stated hopefully despite the bittersweet moment. A look of mischief flickered through his blue eyes and a smirk lit up his face. "And hopefully you'll be a true queen then."

I laughed. "Geez, so willing to just give your wife away?"

Mathias and Rose laughed at my comment and Subaru just smiled widely. "You've lived your life with me and I've lived my life with you. It's about time you started a new life for yourself."

Rose stepped forward, her figure almost completely translucent in the morning light. "The same goes for you as well Mathias. Remember me, but don't dwell on the life we might have had. Plan your life with Caren. She's yours now. Take care of her for Subaru and I."

"That's a promise I made long ago." Mathias stated while glancing lovingly at me.

Subaru and Rose nodded at us once more with a smile before they completely faded away into the dawn. The sun's warm light enshrouded Mathias and I and when we could register the things around us once more, we were back in the water in the circle—well, now more like cluster—of icebergs.

"A new life…" I murmured quietly with a kind of reverence.

"A new life, indeed." Mathias held me close to him and gazed towards the rising sun. He then chuckled softly in amusement. "Well now, I've never seen such dramatic irony and symbolism before in my life."

I looked over my shoulder to peer at his flawless face. "What do you mean?"

He laughed softly once more. "It's the sun. Its rising shows that our life is finally beginning."

I remained silent for a moment with a smile on my face. And then, I couldn't help myself. I burst out laughing. I pulled away from Mathias and turned to face him, mischief shining in my eyes.

"You know, coming from the vampire that scared the hell out of me in my last moments, that was the _corniest_ thing I have _ever_ heard!" I exclaimed.

A wide smile spread across Mathias' face. "Oh good! I wasn't the only one who noticed."

He swam towards me, but I was feeling rather devious. I dove into the water to escape him. He quickly pursued me in an attempt to capture me, his half-vampire half-mermaid. I laughed and jumped out of the water, placing a fair amount of space in between Mathias and I. He surfaced and frowned at me as I smiled mischievously at him. He splashed water at me and I returned the gesture with a laugh.

We continued on like this for a long time as the sun ascended towards the sky. We were two lovers, perfectly (well, almost perfectly) matched, playing in the golden sunlit waters. We were in love and, most importantly, we were happy. There was nothing more that could ruin our lives. Everything was perfect. And it was.

_Fin_


End file.
